Becoming More
by donnaleegreene
Summary: Rebuilding after a war, the Storm pack moves back to Minnesota, the turtles in tow. Will Leo be able to relax his iron control long enough to shift with his brothers? Melody is torn between duty and desire. Loving one and promised to another, she must find a way to keep Mikey without putting her family in danger. The second installment of The Ninja Turtles Meet The Huntress
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: this is the second installment of the Ninja Turtles Meet The Huntress series. If you haven't read TNTMTH then you should probably go read it or this won't make much sense.

Becoming More

It was the end of August. The days were still hot but the four huge mutant turtles didn't have much time to enjoy it, or anything else for that matter. Even their new forms had to remain mostly unexplored because even though their pack was secure and Aiden the Tyrant was dead, there was just too much to be done. Raph, the Alpha of the pack and now the turtles, was traveling with Gabby, his She-Alpha and future mate. It wasn't going to be a long trip. Just a couple of weeks to establish some type of stability in the Were world on the east coast. He had acquired a huge and nearly unmanageable pack when he had killed Aiden. It was too big for him and he was gathering people into smaller packs and allowing other alphas to claim them. While they did that, Gabby was using her advanced telepathic abilities to weed through any who might still be supporting Aiden's old ideals. They were immediately exiled, snapping the bond to the Alpha and leaving them Alphaless which could cause insanity in lesser ranks. Many of them had to be put down when they went crazy and tried attacking other packs.

With Raph and Gabby gone, the responsibility of running the pack fell on Leo and Saffron, who had taken up the mantle of She-Alpha's second after Gabby's sister and former second Gracie had died. Leo, a normally solid and resolute leader, was having trouble keeping up with everything. It had been a couple weeks since the Great One, who was the great wolf spirit of the werewolves people and father to the triplets, had gifted them with an animal form so they could be one with the pack. The trouble was, Leo was the only one out of all of his brothers who couldn't change. He knew he had the ability, felt the power within him to do so, but he couldn't make it happen. The normally calm and collected Leo huffed and tossed the papers in front of him away, unable to comprehend the information about building permits with his mind so preoccupied.

As if being the only one unable to shift wasn't enough, Riley, the uncrowned queen of the werewolves, was almost constantly at him, trying to make him lose control. He had handled it well at first but as the days wore on and she was always picking at him, it began to wear down his practiced control and he found himself getting irritable with her. It was a shame really. She was really tall. At 6'1" she was actually a hair taller than Mikey, which the young terrapin just could not get over. She also had these unique silvery eyes. It was a shade that no wolf or human had ever had and they stayed the same color even when she shifted which was actually really rare for any shifter, though the Werecougar Melody had the same phenomenon with her cat green eyes. Leo thought that Riley's tall and well muscled form was appealing, especially combined with her wavy platinum hair. It was almost white, even lighter than Raph's first girlfriends had been. He couldn't help but wonder if it was as silky and thick as it looked.

Leo couldn't help but scowl. That damn annoying, half mythological, powerful, and sometimes downright scary woman wouldn't leave him alone, even when she wasn't present! Sighing, he walked out of the makeshift trailer they were using as a little home while they built a new compound back in Minnesota. He had been born and raised in New York but this was the Pack's home and he would do anything to give the girls some peace after the years they spent being tormented and oppressed by the False Alpha.

They had only been at it a week but with their now large pack scattered in different professions they had gotten the property, the builders, and the permits in a ridiculously fast amount of time. The first shipment of materials had come in yesterday morning and from the top of the steps Leo watched Saffron pointing something out on the blueprints to the head contractor and then gesturing to the Alpha house.

The Alpha house. It was the first thing Saffron had wanted up. Being from a younger generation, and now very wealthy with the reclaiming of their pack, the Alphas had been tossing ideas back and forth for changing up the layout of the traditional compound which was usually more like an apartment complex. Saffron and Gabby had come up with building a lodge-like main house, the Alpha House, surrounded by a lot of nice, mostly rustic outer buildings. The project would cover just over one hundred acres when complete, housing a medical center and a rec building that would house the entertainment room, gym, pool, cafeteria, and training facilities. As the Alphas hadn't even been back to Minnesota yet, saffron was bound and determined that the Alpha house be ready by the time they returned in two weeks. Leo had seen how the wolves worked with their much greater speed and strength. He didn't doubt they would be done well before the Alphas returned.

As Leo stood in the hot afternoon sun, supervising, he saw movement across the lawn. He frowned as irritation invaded his moment of peace. Riley was walking his way.

"Hey Leo." She called brightly but the mischievous glint in her eye was anything but innocent. He stood tense, his arms crossed across his chest, as she came and stood next to him at the top of the steps, surveying the progress. "They work fast." She commented as the multitude of wolves scurried here and there, constructing as they went.

"Yeah." Leo answered shortly. She just stood next to him, her bright silver eyes taking in the activity. After a few moments of silence, he began to relax. He shifted his weight to one foot and then she struck, pushing him over the railing and off of the stairs. He managed to twist as he fell so he didn't break his neck. He leapt up, his eyes blazing with anger and an honest to goodness, angry, rumbling, impossible for him to make unless he was a shifter growl was rolling deep in his chest. One look at the smug face of his tormentor caused the noise to cease as he recomposed himself.

"Leo, if you don't quit doing that you'll never get to know him well enough to change into him." She chided as he reasserted his iron control. She, of course, was talking about his beast. The animal inside of him that he was born with had been subjected to his absolute control since for as long as he could remember. He didn't like it. It was too wild, too unpredictable, for his lifestyle. For him, control was paramount.

"Whatever." He said, his jaw tight. He really wished she would just go away. His two brothers walked around the building and the woman next to him flitted away, much to his relief. He watched as her brothers greeted the woman like family and rolled his eyes, heading back to his work in the trailer.

"Hey Girl! What's good?" Mikey asked as Riley strode over.

"I made him growl today." She replied, her silver eyes dancing.

"Good job, Riley." Donnie said smiling. "Is that the first time you got him to do something like that?"

"Yeah. He's been tough. He just won't listen to me. I don't know why he can't just let go. It's not like the animal is new to you guys. You've lived your whole lives with a part of that in you."

"Leo likes control." Donnie said. "I really honestly don't know what it'll take to make him loosen up but maybe you could lay off the angry part. He's getting kinda hard to be around."

She sighed. "I guess I'll have to be okay with the little bit of progress we've made. Are we hanging out tonight? I think Margie has the pendants ready. You guys could come over and get those and we could chill."

"Sounds great." Mikey replied.

And bring mister crabby pants. He could use some down time." She walked away, heading back to the car she had driven over.

Riley wasn't usually one to ruffle feathers. While she was playful, she usually had a calm and serene demeanor. She had only been so annoying towards Leo because she was trying anything she could to reintroduce his animal nature. How would she do it? Two weeks of nonstop torment had earned her one little measly growl… and a brief one at that. No. It wasn't working and it wasn't worth all of the unpleasantness. She would lay off of Leo, show him she could be nice and hopefully they could be friends. She liked the energy that came off of him anyway. It was always so soothing, except when he was growling. She couldn't help but feel just a little satisfied that she had drawn that from him. Still, there was no use in badgering him if everyone was going to be miserable. With a sigh she turned for home.

Even though Riley had been back in Minnesota for months now, not including her little hiatus as she and her two brothers went to help beat down the Tyrant, it still felt like it had been years since she had wandered the halls of their old mansion an hour north of Minneapolis. They had grown up there with no pack. Only Margie, a witch, Oliver, their MMA trainer, and The Warden had been with them. They hadn't even known other weres existed until the restlessness of Riley's first heat had driven her from their property and into the cities where she found Gabby. She owed a lot to her honorary She-Alpha. Without her, they never would have discovered their people or their plight and they never would have stayed out of Aiden's reach. They hadn't known their powers then. Aside from the fact that Aiden could have never controlled Riley's mind because of her connection to the spirit world, he could have used them for terrible effect if he had been able to control her brothers and force her cooperation as he had been prone to do.

Riley entered the building and headed for the kitchen for some nice cold lemonade. It was hot out that was for sure. Her brother Wayne was sitting there, mowing down some cookies and reading something on his tablet.

"What's up, big brotha?" She asked as she walked in. She noticed Frankie sitting at the table eating a sandwich as she rounded the corner. "And bigger brotha." She added. Her eldest brother grunted, acknowledging her greeting but he didn't reply.

"Just reading up on the news." Wayne replied. She knew he was talking about the Were news. It was an online blog written by Weres and it had millions of viewers. The humans who saw it thought it was some sci-fi bullshit that Were fans cooked up. They knew better.

"Anything good?" She asked.

"Not particularly." He frowned. "Looks like the people are loving Raph and Gabby up in the northern half of the states. Haven't had much information from the south. Sounds like the Alphaless are banding together though. God damned maniacs."

"They know they need an Alpha to stay sane. It makes sense they'd get together and figure out who was most dominant and go from there. We'll have to keep an eye on them. They could become a big problem." Riley said.

"After they're mated we should visit the allied packs in the south." Frankie spoke up from the table. "They need a presence down there in case anything ever happens. They were spared the worst of Aiden's destruction so they might not be as cautious. They might not be prepared if the Alphaless attack."

"Attack the south cuz is unprepared." Riley nodded. "Makes sense. They'll need a territory and a compound if they want to build off of Aiden's ideals."

"Gabby and Raph should have just put them all down." Frankie said.

"They didn't want to be like that. They didn't want to become executioners. Not yet. Someday they might be able to stomach it again but they lost so much, and killed so many. You weren't in it as long as they were. You saw one battle and one skirmish and they saw months of that. I could feel it. Their souls need to heal before they can become the type of people to dole out severe punishment." Riley said. She had wished the other Alphas were capable of what needed to be done right now too, but she understood. She knew they wouldn't balk at this responsibility in the future but now was not the time for them. They would do what they needed to heal and go from there.

"I invited the Storms over tonight if you guys don't mind." She said and her brothers perked up. They loved the pack. They had never had one of their own so they really got along with the turtles who struggled with the same things they did. It was nice to be with people who didn't really expect anything out of them, especially now that they were back on the map. They had exposed themselves before and were considered royalty because of their unusual stature and the powers they were gifted with but it had taken many years to acquire their reputation and sometimes Riley wished they hadn't. It made their kind look at them differently, just the same way the turtles were looked at differently. That's why they loved the Storm pack so much. With them, they were just people.

"When?" Wayne asked and she could have laughed. If Donnie didn't already have Saffron, she would have sworn he and Wayne were in love. Their souls gave off a warm glow when they were together. Was there a such thing as soulfriends? She would have to look into it. She wondered if Jayden would show up. The large, attractive blond was usually attached at the hip with Raph but the Alpha was gone and she hadn't seen the beta in a few days. She knew he was cool with pretty much everyone though and wondered if he'd turn down the chance to socialize.

"After sunset. The construction crew wants to get as much done as possible before the Alphas come back. They'll finished the Alpha house first and then get going on the rec center. With the sheer amount of people there, I wouldn't be surprised if they finished it. You guys should go check it out sometime. It's a nice spread." Riley said.

"I'll go when it's done." Frankie said. "I like to be able to tour more than just the shell. Plus I think Raph and Gabby would prefer the chance to give a grand tour don't you think?"

Riley considered what he had said. She supposed he was right. If she had her own home she would want to give tours personally. Just then, a plump woman with grey streaked black hair came in, her grey eyes twinkling.

"I'm so happy you're all home." She sighed as she put the kettle on. It didn't matter how hot the day was, Margie had to have her black tea.

"Are the pendants ready?" Riley asked.

"Yes, dear. I finished them up this morning. I made them specially colored for those fool turtles." She smiled affectionately at the mention of the brothers. "Can you guess who gets which?"

"I could guess." Riley replied. "They're coming over tonight so we can hand them out then."

"All of them are coming?"she asked, her brows raised. Riley knew what she meant.

"If they can manage it, the other two will drag Leo here." She replied.

"Lucky you." She replied with a knowing smile. See, here's the thing. Part of Riley's powers was her capability to read souls or spirits. Some people called them auras. She could feel them and the energy they put out made sense to her. She had found that Leo's soul drew her and she knew that if she could win him that he would be her mate. Their inner flame matched, like Gabby and Raph's did. Like Donnie and Saffron's did, like Mikey and Melody's did. They still hadn't gotten together. Mikey was clueless, the dummy. Melody wasn't any better, letting distractions keep her away from him all the time. She knew better than to interfere though. Mates had to find their way to each other naturally. That's why she hadn't pounced on Leo the first time she had felt the warming rays of his souls energy. That, and the fact that he couldn't learn to become one with the animal in him. He couldn't be a good mate until he had balance. Not just emotional balance as he had now, but spiritual balance. She eyed Margie suspiciously. The witch was also blessed with access to the spiritual plane and she wondered how much she really knew sometimes.

"I got a growl from him today." Riley blurted. Margie's smirk deepened.

"How did you manage that?" She asked.

"I pushed I'm off of a railing." She confessed.

"There are better ways to bring his beast out." She said sternly.

"Please, oh wise one, grace me with this knowledge." Riley said sarcastically.

"Take him to bed." Margie said simply. Riley heard sputtering and turned to see Wayne choking on his cookie. Margie wasn't a normal parental figure by any means but she had never openly encouraged any of her children to have sex before.

"I think not." Riley blushed.

"Mating is a very primal act, prone to aggravating any Were's beast. I'm sure you would get more than a growl. I bet you could make his eyes fleck." She answered, referring to the way a were's animal eye color blended through to their human eyes, putting flecks of color that were usually not there.

"Moving on." Frankie said loudly from the table. Margie tutted and tended to her pot. They all went about their own business until the sun went down and their guests arrived. As she had suspected, they had Jayden in tow and to her surprise, Leo stood at the back of the group, looking a little grumpy until Frankie greeted him warmly. They all meandered into the huge den and settled in around a coffee table filled with liquor.

"First up, never have I ever." Wayne said, putting shots full of vodka in front of everyone and setting the full bottle on the table. "Tapping out makes you lose, vomiting makes you lose, getting called out by your friends and siblings when we know you've done the thing and still haven't taken the shot makes you lose. Last one standing wins."

Everyone laughed. Since none of the people in the room had any party years, they had taken to doing drinking games and getting rip roaring drunk when they hung out which was actually fairly rare seeing as they just had so much damn work to do.

"Me first, me first!" Saffron called.

"Shoot." Said Wayne.

"Never have I ever had sex with a girl." She grinned mischievously, blue eyes piercing into Donnie. He chuckled as everyone but her drank.

The move went clockwise so Donnie was next. "Never have I ever eaten raw meat." He said. He was surprised to see Mikey shoot along with all of the wolves.

"Really?" Donnie asked.

"I went hunting with Raph and Gabby once. The blood smelled good so I tried it. Looks like we got more wolf in us than expected." Mikey replied.

Donnie could attest to that and he was sure Raph could too. Every time he had sex, he formed a knot now. It had weirded him out at first but when Saffron had screamed her release when he tied her in her hybrid form, he figured it was a good thing.

Next up was Mikey. "Never ever have I had sex." He grinned, knowing most of the people in the room would have to shoot. He was surprised to see that Riley and Leo both didn't shoot, though the rest of them did.

Leo couldn't believe the pale haired beauty across from him had never done it before. Especially seeing as her brothers had. They went everywhere together so he knew she had been exposed to the possibility of it. He eyed her hulking brother sitting next to her. At a full seven feet, he was even bigger and scarier than Raph. Maybe it wasn't so unusual that she han' t been approached. Risking the wrath of her brothers would take a special kind of courage.

Jayden's turn. "Never have I ever had sex with a mutant turtle." His blue eyes sparkled with laughter as Saffron took her shot and then stuck her tongue out at him.

Leo's turn. "Never have I ever shifted in this plane."

Everyone took shots.

"Never have I ever lived in the sewers." Wayne grinned next. The turtles swallowed their alcohol as well as Saffron, seeing as she'd lived with them there the first month after Raph had bonded them.

"Never have I ever performed surgery." Frankie said. Shots from Saffron and Donnie.

"Never have I ever been in a relationship." Again, Saffron and Donnie had to shoot, along with Jayden.

"This feels kinda one sided." Donnie commented as his body warmed as a hard buzz set in. Saffron was right there with him.

The game went on and ever since Donnie's comment, most of them picked stuff they would have to drink to until they tapped out.

"Assholes." Donnie muttered as they downed their last shot and flipped their glasses over to show they were out. Saffron giggle and sneezed and then giggled more.

"let's run." She said to her boyfriend.

He kissed her hard. "You're so smart." He said through half closed eyes.

He stood and started untying his shorts to get naked when Riley laughed. "Wait." She said. "Let me grab your amulet." She stumbled a little when she stood, the copious amount of alcohol making her coordination a bit shaky but she stabilized and hurried off only to return moments later with the pendants. Each glowed faintly, waiting to be united with its owner. She tossed one to Mikey and then Donnie who put it on and quickly shifted, relieved when he didn't tear apart his shorts and instead they were magically absorbed. Then Riley held the blue glowing one out to Leo.

"I don't know why you bothered." He said looking down. "I'm never going to need it."

Riley bent down, supporting her weight with a hand on his thigh until he looked up at her.

"Yes you will." She said with a quiet conviction that made him believe her. She straightened but he could still feel the warmth of her hand where it had rested on his shorts. She was so confusing. Annoying for two weeks and then suddenly warm and sweet. What the actual fuck was going on here? A small cough brought him out of his reverie. In the entrance to the room stood a very familiar and well liked face.

"Mind if I join in?" Melody asked, her cat green eyes tracking over each face. Her eyes stopped at Donnie and Saffron who were trying to stumble their way out of the room but failing because they kept hitting the furniture.

"You have a lot of catching up to do." Wayne said cheekily.

"I see that." She said as she stepped aside for the finally coordinated Donnie and Saffron. They passed her and headed for the front door. She headed in and sat next to Mikey instead he place the two love birds had just vacated.

"Hey Mikey." She said.

"Hey." He replied, his penchant for calling every single female he came across by one pet name or another was halted by his nerves. He had always liked Melody and he hadn't even been able to explain why. He hardly knew her on a personal level.

"How many shots." She asked.

"Better start with ten." Wayne said. "And that's going easy on you."

She slammed ten back no problem and settled in next to Mikey to continue the game.

"Never have I ever had retractable claws." Riley said. Eyebrows quirking in a challenge. The Werecougar took another shot.

Finally, Mikey tapped out, followed by Wayne, then Riley, then Jayden vomited, expelling him and Frankie called Melody out on coughing up a hair ball when she was in cat form. He'd seen her do it the day after Aiden's death. That made Frankie the winner but by then everyone was too drunk to care.

"Run with me angel face." Mikey said to Melody. He stood and headed for the door and to his complete surprise, the lioness followed. They went out into the cool night air and shifted. She was glorious as a cougar, her green eyes rimmed in black and her big body rippling with muscle. His dragon form, as they called it since discovering they could roar, was just a hint larger than hers and it made him happy for some reason. She began to trot away and he followed easily. He swiped and knocked her back foot as it came up, causing her to jump and spin, facing him curiously. He swatted again, playfully. Nervous as he was, playing was the only thing he could think to do. Melody swatted back but missed as he danced away. A purr emanated from deep in her chest as he bounded back and tried to nip her flank with his beak. She dodged and swatted his hind leg, causing him to stumble but he was up and pouncing on her like a playful puppy in an instant. They rolled around, jaws snapping playfully and showy growls rumbling until Melody managed to disengage herself and took off running. Now there was something that drew out the predator in him. With a roar, he gave chase.

Donnie and Saffron hadn't made it far. He had chased her into the woods and those long legs of his allowed him to catch her quickly. He waisted no time in burying his face in her swollen pussy. His reptilian tongue stroked through her folds, tasting her essence. His cock started protruding from his sheath and when her tail flagged to the side, he covered her. His tapered cock dipped in and out of her aching pussy until she gave a sharp growl and he thrust into her completely, hammering into her ready and willing body. Saffron yipped her pleasure beneath him and as her walls began to contract, his knot began to grow until he was locked inside of her with barely two inched to give sharp hard thrusts but just as he locked with her her body spasmed and she howled her release. His body jerked inside of her releasing a torrent of cum and just like a real wolf, he turned so he was off of her back and his knot was wedged snugly against her opening. It was what her wolf wanted, and his dragon as well. His cock jumped inside of her every time her walls contracted, drawing more seed from his shaft. This one was going to take a while to go down, he could tell. She wasn't holding still and every movement against his sensitive cock brought a low churr from him. He didn't mind though. He could stay like this forever.

When Melody saw Saffron and Donnie she stopped dead. Mikey barreled into her sending her ass over teakettle, landing with him standing over her. It was obvious that he saw seeing what she had seen moments before, especially as Saffron had been howling her release as they had tumbled. Her sideways position under him allowed her a good look as his cock began to protrude slightly. His scent became richer, and for a minute she wondered what it would be like to mix his scent with her own. With a wicked inner smile, she rose underneath him, making sure her back brushed hard against his exposed tip. His hips jerked but then she was off again, the scent of his arousal smeared down her back where his moist cock had dampened her fur. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the mix of his lubricating fluids and her own fur. She quickly climbed a tree and settled in to wait. What was she doing?

She shouldn't be encouraging Mikey. While she had always found him attractive, she had a duty to her family. She had been promised to a rival pride's leader as a peace offering, a way to bring the prides together. She didn't really want to breed with the other lion, but she could do worse and it served a good purpose, her family's safety. Yet here she was, playing hide and seek with a were-turtle-wolf and getting turned on by the though of him driving his cock into her. Her tail flicked in agitation as she thought. She wasn't due to be sent to the other pride until the next summer, the summer of her twentieth birthday. She's just had her first heat before meeting with the Storm pack. The triplets had saved her from a band that had stolen her away and were planing on using her as their personal sex slave. They got her out, fed her, and took her on as a sister before sending her back to her pride for no more than a couple weeks, when they asked her to seek out the Storm pack. Then, and now, she found it difficult to return home to her pride. She felt she belonged in the storm pack. Still, duty was what her family had drilled into her since childhood. She watched as Mikey walked through the trees toward her. Her tail flicked and her eyes narrowed. Maybe it would be alright to have a little fling before she was forced to settle down.


	2. Chapter 2

The world was spinning. Leo had definitely had too much to drink. He sat on the couch, his head tipped back, trying to keep himself from throwing up.

"You okay?" The soft feminine voice came from beside him. He tensed, ready for her to start in on him but she waited patiently for his answer.

"Spins." He finally replied.

Riley looked at the turtle in blue. His eyes were staring up as though if he turned his gaze anywhere else, the world world would fall apart. She herself was barely holding on. Her body tingled and her head swam. At lest her vision wasn't too effected. She stared at his face, taking in his strong jaw line, the bright blue eyes, and the sensuous curve of his lower lip. She wanted a taste.

"You've been quiet tonight." Leo commented, trying to keep his mind off of his churning stomach.

"I'm not always annoying." She replied. "Just to you."

He frowned, still not moving his gaze. "Why?"

"Tryina get to your beast." She said. His frown deepened but he said nothing. In her drunken state, her adopted mother's words came back to her and quick as a snake, she was up on her knees straddling his lap.

Riley's face appeared in his vision as she loomed over him. Her hips and stomach were pressed against the upper part of his plastron and her hands rested on his powerful shoulder. On one side, her fingers traced the line of a tendon in his neck. His eyes focused in on hers.

"What-" he started but she brought her lips to his in a fiery kiss. Leo couldn't even breathe. He'd been kissed before but the way her soft lips moved against his and the way her tongue darted out to taste him was almost enough to sober him up. Until he smelled her arousal at any rate. He had noticed his much sharper sense of smell since the Great One had blessed them, and now he thanked his lucky stars because there was no better smell than the warm white chocolate scent that was coming off of her. He made a noise he had never made before, another noise he wouldn't have been able to make unless he could change his vocal chords like a shifter. A deep churr rolled from his chest as his cock hardened.

Riley pulled away a bit, eyeing him nervously. The noise he was making wasn't a growl, she had already heard that before, but it was still deep and kind of rumbly and she wasn't sure what it meant. His eyes opened as his hands came up to wrap around her hips. They were flecked with green, the deep forest green of his dragon. Her heart leapt but the sound of her brothers voices returning from the kitchen had him thrusting her off of him, rising, and staggering out of the room. She beat a hasty retreat as well, hoping the scent of her arousal would dissipate a little without her there. She went to her room and locked the door. She quickly undressed and crawled into bed. She found her own release that night, as she always did, but her mind replayed the cool flesh of Leo's hands gripping her hips as she ran her lips over his. He had lost control tonight. He had been out of his mind drunk, but that was two incidences in one day. She was willing to bet that if she had run, the predator in him would have burst free to hunt her. Her body thrilled at the thought.

Leo woke with a pounding headache from the craziest dream. He dreamed he was chasing the white wolf through the snow covered forest. He knew that if only he could catch her, her could have her. He stretched, the vividness of his dream fading, though his arousal was still sharp, and four legs moved. He froze and looked down, realizing he was in his dragon form. Joy rocketed through him but then he was suddenly Leo again. Plain old boring mutant turtle Leo. He sighed as he sat up, the bright light of the morning blazing in through the tall windows in the upstairs living room he had run to when he had needed to retreat. His stomach dropped as he remembered his tormentors lips on his, her body pressed close, and the delicious smell of her arousal. No wonder he'd had that dream. He took another deep breath, squinting against the bright light, and stood. His stomach churned but he'd be alright. He just really needed some water. He quietly wandered downstairs to the kitchen. He was the only one awake. He slammed a glass of water, and then another. He quickly made himself some toast. He buttered it and ate it over the garbage, not wanting to get crumbs everywhere or dirty a plate. When he'd finished, he turned to check on his pack only to jump a foot. A woman he knew to be Margie was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, silently watching him.

"Congratulations." She said, her face passive.

"For what?" Leo asked.

"Your first shift." She replied. "Even if it was in your sleep."

He frowned. She must have seen him in dragon form on the couch before he woke.

"It doesn't count if I'm sleeping." He replied.

"Sure it does. It means your beast is strong. It pushes out when you let go of your inhibitions." The woman twittered as she moved into the kitchen, filling her kettle and starting the stove.

"Then why did I change back right away." He asked.

"Not right away. Only when you realized you were in dragon form. You changed back because you were afraid and when you're afraid you like to organize every aspect of yourself into nice neat little boxes. Get all your ducks in a perfect row, so to speak." She said as she gathered her tea mug and some cream and sugar.

"I wasn't scared, I was happy that I had been able to change." Leo said.

"It is possible to be happy and afraid all at once. Ever been kissed by someone you really like? Overjoyed that they like you enough to kiss you, terrified you're going to mess it up." She sighed. "Oh to be young again." Leo wasn't sure if she was talking about her past or if she knew what had happened between him and Riley last night. The witch seemed to know everything that went on in her house. "Tea?" She asked him as the kettle began to whistle.

Leo accepted a steaming mug and they sat together at the table. "I've never let that part of me control my life." Leo explained. "It just felt too wild and I didn't want to end up…" He trailed off, trying to put into word what he had always felt would happen if he let that other part of him out.

"Like your brother, Raphael?" She offered.

Leo chuckled. "Well that's one way to put it."

"Raph is a special case. He has a very dominant beast and unlike yourself he never had the patience to try to control it, he just let it take over whenever he was angry or upset or scared. He struggles with it now. Riley's told me he's prone to accidental shifting when he gets too stressed, especially if Gabby isn't with him. Your relationship with your beast would be different, Leonardo, if you would only give him a chance. Your brothers have learned balance with their beasts and neither of them are off their rockers or overly emotional. The beast is you, Leo, and you are the beast. You don't need to fear it."

Leo sipped his tea and pondered her words with a scowl. What did she know? Did she have an animal living inside her? He was distracted as Saffron and Donnie walked in, both yawning.

"We gotta get back, Leo." She said. "I'm sure the builders are here and started already." Saffron said.

"Ronnie's right." He sighed to the older woman. "Thank you for the tea." He stood and put his half empty mug in the sink. The soft grey eyes just smiled at him behind her cup.

They went outside to the car, a hungover Jayden in tow. "Where's Mikey?" Leo asked, looking around.

"I'm sure Melody will bring him home." Saffron said. "We gotta get moving." They piled into the SUV with tinted windows and drove off.

Mikey awoke when the sun was beating down on his face through a gap in the foliage. He lifted his head and shook it out, making the ears he wasn't used to flap. He looked around, his brown eyes alert. He had chased Melody around all night in a merry game of hide and seek and though they had collapsed in a pile together and fallen asleep on the forest floor, she was nowhere to be seen. He inhaled deeply, trying to catch her scent, which still lingered where her fur had been touching him. He stood up, stretching like a dog, and then followed her scent. He walked for a little way and then stopped dead. She was in human form, her clothes piled on the shore of a spring that welled up into a little pond and a stream. She was swimming. Naked. He quickly shifted and called out, not wanting to startle her. She waved him over.

"You sleep okay last night?" She asked, her body gliding gracefully through the extremely clear water. "I know it can be weird waking up in your animal form."

"I slept great. You really wore me out. Are all cats as good at hide and seek as you are?" He asked. She just grinned and have a little shrug as her feet settled on the rocky bottom.

"Are you going to come swimming?" She asked.

"I, uh, actually gotta get going." He hedged. He didn't want her to know he had a boner.

She grinned. "I'll bring you back." And before he could so much as blink, she was walking out of the water, revealing her gloriously naked body. Her breasts had to have been even bigger than Gabby's with an ass to match. Her stomach was soft and a little rounded. Mikey had always had a thing for thick girls. Her curves made his mouth go dry. He couldn't move a muscle as he watched her put her clothes back on. She finally came to walk past him, pecking his cheek before moving on. Mikey turned and watched her go, shocked. Then he realized he was supposed to be following her and hurried to catch up. He watched her shift a few feet ahead of him and he quickly followed suit, chasing after her the whole way back to the mansion.

Melody and Mikey both shifted when they got back, noticing that the SUV the turtles had come in was gone.

"Guess you're lucky I'm still here." Melody said as she slid into the car. He climbed into the back seat, hidden by the tinted windows.

"I had a good time last night." Mikey said, feeling a little bit awkward.

"Mmmm." She hummed. Mikey thought he heard a little bit of a purr in there but he thought maybe he was imagining things. She was so confusing and hard to decipher sometimes. Even though she felt like part of the pack, she had always been mostly quiet, preferring to observe rather than be the center of attention. The few times he'd been able to drag out her more playful nature, he'd had the time of his life though. He knew there was a lot under that quiet, inquisitive face she put out there. Her playful boldness that morning had been enough to prove that. He was going to crack her shell, if it was the last thing he ever did.

The week had passed mostly smoothly as August faded into September. The Alpha House had been finished and oh what a house it was. Four flours, including the basement, and huge ceiling to floor picture windows gave a lot of space and a lot of light. The very top floor was designed only for the Alpha pair. It held a stone and wood luxury bathroom attached to a master bedroom large enough to throw a party in. One wall had huge windows looking out on the private lake and another wall had a bay window with a reading nook, as they had discovered Gabby loved to read though she didn't get the chance often in the war.

If you left the master bedroom, you walked out into a hallway and the first door on the left was a smaller warm and cozy den, with their own personal entertainment center full of games, movies, and a computer on a desk off against the wall. The next door, which was on the right, was the second door to the master bathroom. The three doors after that were extra rooms, set up as guest rooms now, but intended for use as nurseries and children's rooms in the future. The next door down was a meditation room, and then, at the end of the hallway, there was a room that held a large hot tub, a stone platform complete with stairs encasing it. Gabby had been adamant about it and they knew why. The number of times they had walked in on Raph burying himself inside of her on the ledge of the very similar hot tub at the last compound was a little bit obscene.

On the other end of the hallway, the stairs led down to the second floor. This floor held a kitchenette, a couple bedrooms, the laundry room, a huge living area, and a couple bathrooms. People could come there and relax.

Another set of stairs led down to the first floor, where a large, warm entryway split off into a huge kitchen which connected to a dining room with a huge oak table. The entryway also gave direct access to a good sized den with a fireplace and then a hallway led off to conference rooms they would be using this floor for business and high ranking meetings that would need the relatively intimate space the Alpha house alone could provide. Larger meeting and classrooms were going to be built in the red center.

The basement was something Raph had requested and the other turtles had latched onto like leeches. A turtle man cave. It reflected a bit on the lair they'd had to leave back over half of a year ago. It was the only floor that didn't match the rustic homey feel of the rest of the house. It had brick and cement walls, cement floors, and a couple arches that led off to a couple different rooms, including Donnie's personal lab, a weapons room, and a meditation room besides the main hang out space. They all couldn't wait til Raph got back so they could start decorating it, bringing a little bit of New York City back to the Minnesota Country.

The towering walls of the four story rec center were now standing as well. This building was made of brick and cement and could hold all of the pack within a hundred miles in case of a disaster. It was the only building on the premises besides the medical building that didn't have a rustic feel to it. That's not to say some of the rooms inside of it wouldn't have that rustic, homey feel, but the outside screamed strength and durability.

Leo was more than happy with the progress. It meant he had one less thing to worry about. Other than the building project, he was managing all the wolves inside of the Minnesota state line, as Raph hadn't returned to dole out those wolves to other Alphas yet. Every question, every problem, every challenge had to go through him. Luckily he had an email set up but he spent a good part of his day meeting with concerned pack members wanting to know what would be done with them or their family or their children. Leo assured many of them that they would have some say in what happened to them. Jayden even stepped in to do some meetings with pack members because there were just too many.

On the up side, Riley hadn't shown up for days, seemingly tired of torturing him. While he could say that was an immense relief and it had improved his mood immensely, he wasn't sure her absence was quite as complete as it seemed. He'd been dreaming of her every night. Her wolf would stand before him, all white fur and silver eyes. He knew she was waiting, always waiting. He would wake up, restless and antsy before he wrestled his unruly emotions back into line and go back to sleep.

He had tried every day that week to shift again. Multiple times a day he tried with no success. He had never in his life failed to master something he had put his will against. He was beyond frustrated, though you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at him. As always, he kept his physical bearing under control.

Mikey, on the other hand, was showing his frustration by being surly with his brothers, and even Saffron. The usually social and friendly turtle had taken to going off alone and had been rather short with his brothers. Melody had returned to her territory the night after their hide and seek match and hadn't been in touch with any of them. She wouldn't answer texts or calls, and seeing as Mikey was trying to get to know her better, he was beyond frustrated.

That's why, after yet another week, when he heard someone approaching him in the woods he let out a warning growl in his chest.

"I know you're not growling at me, Michelangelo." A stern but familiar voice said. Mikey whipped around to see Gabby looking down at him, hands on her full hips, eyebrow raised. Raph stood a few feet back, his arms crossed, but there was a smile playing around the toothpick in his mouth.

"You're back!" Mikey cried. All frustration momentarily forgotten, he leapt to his feet and rushed forward, wrapping Gabby up in a big bear hug. When he set her down, he bumped fists with his older brother. "What's good, bruh?" He asked.

"Been waitin' on you, knuckle head." Raph answered. "We wanna see the house but it's hard to do it all together when your brother's missin'."

"Dude. It's so awesome. C'mon! C'mon!" He had Gabby's hand and was pulling her forward eagerly. He hadn't realized how much he missed those two. They seemed to have an ability to bring everyone together. They were the rock the pack leaned on and when they had to be separated from them, things just felt a little off.

Mikey hauled the two all the way back to the compound. The huge rec center was over half done. The equipment hadn't been brought in and the water and electricity weren't on yet but people were working in the interior on the lower floors as the builders were working frantically to finish the top floor and the roof. Because it wasn't quite done, Mikey skipped stopping to let them look up at it. He just dragged them forward to where the other brothers and Saffron stood waiting.

Leo was glad to see Raph. He knew it meant he had managed to direct and set up new territories out east alongside the Thompson Alpha. It also meant there was less people in their pack, less people to pull their focus in so many different directions. Really, though, Leo had just missed his brother. Despite their differences, Raph was his best friend. He was glad to see Mikey acting more like Mikey too. The last week had been hard with the most unfazeable of them acting so strangely.

"Seriously, guys." Mikey whined as Gabby and Saffron squealed and wrapped each other up in a tight hug. "I'm dying to show you this place. Can we go?"

Saffron stuck her tongue out at the turtle but then smiled indulgently as she disengaged from Gabby.

"Alright, orangey." Saffron said. "Lead the way."

Mikey lead them forward like an over eager puppy. If he'd been in his dragon form, his tail would've been wagging.

Raph could almost feel his heart physically swell in his chest as he walked in. Modern was great. He loved modern. However, the rich warm wood with the stone accents coupled with the up to date technology, appliances, and furniture screamed home and comfort. He couldn't have hoped to even dream of a home so well suited to him and his Gabby. He looked down at her, a full foot shorter than him, with her warm chocolate eyes sparkling with tears. He brushed her hair back, letting her know he was with her without intruding in her moment. He looked over and realized Saffron's hand was in hers and her blue eyes also sparked with tears. He realized that they were coming home to a compound that was theirs and theirs alone for the first time since their pack was overthrown by the False Alpha, Aiden. As he took everything in, Leo was talking to them about what they were seeing. Everything from the features of the kitchen to the kind of hardwood floors and even to where they had made small adjustments to the building plan. Raph couldn't have been more proud of his brother. He had paid a lot of attention to this project and that showed how much he cared.

The group moved to the next floor and then the others were left there as Saffron led them up to the Alpha floor. When she showed them the master bed and bath, they were ecstatic. When she showed them the den, they were happy. She showed her two of the three bedrooms and then walked her down past the third bedroom to the hot tub room where she could almost see Gabby swoon. Then she led them to the third bedroom.

"Raph, would you mind waiting out here? I decorated this room special and it's something I want me and Gabby to do together." Saffron said.

"Yer killin' me, Ronnie." He groaned, but he settled against the opposite wall so she took that as a green light. She covered Gabby's eyes with one hand and then opened the door with the other. She guided her in and faced her toward a wall. When she withdrew her hand, Gabby froze in shock. The entire wall was a collage of pictures.

"Where did you get these?" Gabby asked, her voice quiet, breathless even.

"I went to the old compound." She admitted. It had been abandoned for years, ever since Aiden had turned his gaze east.

Gabby's hand touched the smooth glass that covered a picture of her mom, dad, sister, brother, and herself. Her fingers traced to one of her uncle Tim and her sister fishing for trout. The next picture showed her and her siblings all proudly holding up little brook trout. She stepped back, her tears falling freely as she saw pictures she had thought long gone. She noticed there were a lot of more recent ones too. Her and Gracie making funny faces in her room back at the Thompson Compound. That must've been after Raph had broken her leg and she literally could do nothing but stay in her room. Gracie had made it her personal mission to keep her entertained. There was a picture of the turtles in the entertainment room, laughing and cheering as they played video games. There was a very recent picture of Gabby, obviously naked though none of her private areas were showing, with her arms resting on the platform of the hot tub at the last compound they had taken before killing Aiden. Her hair flowed around her and her head was resting on her arms. Her dark eyes burned with passion. It must have been that picture that Raph had taken. He would never admit it to anyone outside the family, but he loved photography, and he was really good at it. Again, her eyes wandered, this time landing on a picture from behind of Raph and Donnie sitting side by side on a long bench at the Thompson compound. In their wolf forms, Gabby and Saffron rested their front legs and their big heads on their lovers laps. Gabby knew Gracie had taken that picture. Another picture caught her eye. It was the boys with Master Splinter in the lair. They were eating breakfast but you could tell Master Splinter was saying something and they all were listening intently. She stepped back and took in the largest picture, set in the middle. It was all of them. They were at Raph's first hunt. It had been taken sometime after he had returned. Their spots of honor were all filled. Ten chairs held ten Storm members and each was as happy as they could be, talking among themselves and among the other members of the pack.

"It's beautiful." Gabby said, sliding into her friends outstretched arms. They cried together, grieving still for all they had ever lost. When the tears had slowed, Gabby called Raph in and together they looked over a few of the pictures there, Gabby pointing out her old friends and family and Raph pointing out good memories they'd had together in the last eight months. Saffron stood in the door until they turned to come out, not wanting to leave the turtles waiting downstairs.

"Welcome home, Gabby." Saffron said.

Gabby lit up her world with a dazzling smile. "You too, Ronnie."


	3. Chapter 3

"Dude, seriously, you gotta see this. No girls allowed!" Mikey yelled, shooing the girls off as he led Raph to the stairs to the basement. The brothers were jostling excitedly.

"It's our man cave." Donnie grinned at his brother. "You're going to love it. We wanted to wait for you to come back before we finished decorating it."

Leo opened the door and the first thing he saw was a metal stair case with a railing. As he descended, the stair case opened up on the right to a room that made his jaw drop. It was very similar to the lair back in New York. Mikey showed him the awesome entertainment center in the middle of the room, the weapons room where they could spar, and the bar off in the corner, complete with a pizza oven. Leo showed him the meditation room, similar to the one up in the Alpha quarters but bigger. Donnie then dragged him off to the lab, showing him all of his new equipment and technology.

"This is amazing guys. Really. I dunno how it could be any better." Raph said. He heard a familiar sound and looked over. Donnie had a thing of purple and white spray paint. Mikey thrust a can of red and a can of black into his hands.

"This is how." Leo answered his statement with a grin. Raph returned his brothers grin and they went to town making graffiti over every inch of the walls. They left a few spaces blank for when they put up posters that would eventually end up there. As hey worked, Leo kept up a running commentary about how they had come up with everything. Donnie cut in when they got to the lab.

"Wayne and Riley came and helped me get everything updated and modified." He said. "We even customized some of the equipment and a lot of the computer programs."

"The Triplets are back here?" Raph asked. When they had left, the Triplets were still out east, helping clean up after the mess.

"Yeah. They came back with us." Mikey said. "They're pack now, kinda. They like to stick with us."

"Well, they've been staying at their mansion." Donnie corrected. "It's a three hour drive there when Ronnie's driving so it's not exactly close but we've been heading down there to party a couple nights a week. Riley's been around a lot more than her brothers."

"Why." Raph asked.

"She's trying to bring my dragon out. Or at least she was." Leo said.

"Still haven't shifted?" Raph asked.

"I did once in my sleep." Leo admitted.

"It's a start, bruh." Mikey said, elbowing him.

"Margie thinks I'm scared of it." Leo said, scowling.

"Margie?" Raph asked.

"She's kinda like their mom." Donnie explained. "She's the witch who made these amulets." He pointed to the one hanging from his neck. "You should probably go down there and get yours."

Raph felt Gabby's bond brush against his. "What are you boys doing down there?" She asked in his mind.

"You two go on, we're decorating." Raph replied.

"You might want to tell Mikey he has a visitor." She informed him.

"Gabby says someone's here for ya Mikey." Raph said, not taking his eyes off of his art.

"Really? Who?" He asked. Raph just shrugged and because he was always so inquisitive, he couldn't wait to finish the piece he was working on. He set the cans down and took the stairs two at a time. He opened the door and froze when he saw Melody in the entry, eyes wide in amazement. She must have caught Mikey out of the corner of the eye cuz she spoke.

"It feels like home." She said. "These main beams are as big as trees. It makes me want to climb them."

"What happened to you?" Mikey asked, a little sharply.

"There was stuff going on in my territory. I was really busy." She replied, her uncanny green eyes settling on him.

"What kind of stuff?" He asked, suspicious.

"It's a long story, Mikey." She sighed.

"I got all day." Mikey said, putting his hands on his hips.

"I was arranging things with my pack so I could stay here til next summer." She said.

"Really?" Mikey asked. "Why?"

Melody's eyes roamed over the interior of the house again. "It feels like home here." She replied.

"You wanna go get some coffee sometime?" Mikey blurted. Oh god. Where had that even come from? He couldn't go out to a coffee place. He didn't even like coffee. What the hell was he doing? This wasn't some romantic comedy movie. He was a turtle!

"Like a date?" She asked. He just nodded, embarrassed. "I don't really like coffee." She replied. His heart fell. "But I could go pick us up some special ice cream and you could pick a special place and we could still have a special date." She smiled.

Mikey had to physically stop himself from crushing her in an ecstatic hug. "So, like, maybe tomorrow around noon if you're gonna be around?" He asked, playing it cool.

"Great. I'll bring the ice cream, you pick the place. Until then, did you want to show me around the new house? It looks awesome."

"Sure." Mikey said, casually wrapping an arm around her shoulders, steering her toward the kitchen. "No girls in the cave though."

Her tinkling laughter was music to his ears. "As if I'd want to go into your smelly man cave."

Mikey showed her around the house and after, he took her over to the rec center and showed her how things were progressing. When they were walking out, they saw the big Dodge Ram that belonged to Frankie pulling in. Mikey alerted Raph and Gabby through their bonds and soon everyone was pouring out to meet their honorary pack members. Leo's stomach seemed to be doing backflips at the thought of seeing Riley for the first time since they kissed.

The Triplets slid out of the truck. They were all just so big! All of them over six feet with Frankie hitting seven. Their size had never intimidated the turtles the way it did other Weres though. The Storm pack swarmed around them, greeting them. Silver eyes flashed to blue as Leo connected gazes with Riley. He felt warmth spread through his body at the happy, peaceful smile she sent him. He knew then that she wouldn't pester him anymore, and that she didn't feel weird about what had happened between them. He wondered if it was a normal occurrence to her. The thought didn't sit well with him.

Gabby, the hospitable She-Alpha that she was, ushered them in out of the heat and settled them in at the table for some refreshments before they toured the house. Leo listened intently to the conversation between Gabby, Saffron, Melody, and Riley.

"How's the pride?" Saffron was asking Melody.

"They agreed to let me stay for the rest of the year. I'll head back home around June next year." She said.

"Not that we aren't thrilled to have you, but why stay so long?" Gabby asked. "Won't you miss your family?"

"You know, we're really not that close." She replied. "This place feels more like home to me than my own territory."

"I know what you mean." Riley said. "I'm not trying to be high and mighty here but the boys and I could live anywhere we wanted, no problem. We like it here though. When the cabins are being put up you have to build one for us okay?"

"You can each have your own, if you want." Chuckled Gabby. "We're even wealthier than the Thompson Pack now so I could build endlessly. If you don't want to wait, you guys are more than welcome to come live at the house. Plenty of room."

"That's nice of you but we can wait until a cabin is up. We like to stick together so either a three bedroom, two bathroom cabin or three smaller cabins close by each other." They all stared at her for a minute and she blushed, realizing she had just put an order in for a living space like it was fast food or something. "I'm sorry." She said. "I'm so used to giving orders it just pops out of me sometimes." The girls just laughed.

Leo chuckled with them. That girl was a queen alright. Not afraid to ask for what she wanted but humble enough to admit when she was wrong. She was a refreshing surprise for someone considered royalty. There was none of the snobby or bratty attitude he had expected when he heard they were royalty in Were society. There wasn't even the slightest hint that she felt she was better than anyone. She was confident without being flaunting, commanded respect without being harsh or cruel, and was regal without being overbearing. Just by listening to the conversation between the girls, he learned more about her than he had in the last few weeks. She was surprising him in a good way. Again, he chuckled to himself.

"What's funny?" Raph asked his second.

Leo looked around at his brothers and Riley's brothers. This was really not the time. "Nothing." He said and thankfully they dropped it.

That night, rather than drive back to the Triplets' house, they all stayed at the compound to party. All of the turtles, all of the triplets, Gabby, Saffron, Jayden, Melody and a few other members of the storm pack gathered in the spacious dining room and proceeded to play tippy cup. It was the girls against the turtles for the first round. Gabby squared off against Raph, Donnie against Saffron, Mikey against Melody, and Leo against Riley. Being in good spirits, Leo mouthed "you're going down" to the wolf across from him.

She smiled and shook her head. "Not a chance." She mouthed back. The other turtles were hassling the girls across from them too.

"Hope you're ready to get your asses kicked." Raph grinned cockily.

"Oh please." Gabby replied. "We all know I'm the champion swallower here." All the girls oooooh-ed. Dirty jokes were always appreciated.

"Maybe, but I got all the stamina." Raph came back. "I could go all night." Since Aiden had died, their relationship had evolved a lot. She was a lot more peaceful. She led a little more fearlessly and was a lot more sure of herself. All of her rough edges seemed to have been smoothed and with less stress on both of them, more romance had come into the relationship. Her fear was gone and she was happy, except for the occasional night he would wake up to her crying or the rare occasion he would walk into a room and she would be standing alone with tears silently coursing down her face. When that happened, he would just wrap her up in his arms and let her cry. A couple of times, he had cried with her. Gracie's absence was still sharply felt. Still, his Gabby never let anything get her down for long. Not any more.

Gabby lifted an eyebrow. "Promises, promises." She replied. "Time to put your money where your mouth is." They both took their drink in their hand.

"Three, two, one, go!" Wayne counted them down, and they were off. Gabby finished drinking first, but they both got their cups flipped over at about the same time. Saffron beat Donnie's flip, giving Melody the advantage. She missed her first flip and her second and by the time she made it on the third try, Mikey had already landed his cup and Leo was downing his drink. Riley hurried to catch up, downing her drink and flipping the cup which landed just as Leo's did.

"Rematch!" Mikey crowed. The boys won the next match.

"You just can't beat ninjas." Mikey said.

"We'll see, Mikey." Melody grinned mischievously.

The turtles played against Frankie, Wayne, and two other Storm Pack girls. It was a close game, but the turtles won again. That started a very long and heated competition, one that the turtles won over and over again until they started losing their fine motor skills. Finally, the girls beat them.

"Wooooo! In your face!" Melody yelled, doing a little victory dance.

"What are you, twelve?" Raph asked as he passed by to head to the bathroom.

"Yeah." Melody shot back. "They hired me to be your baby sitter." Raph gave her a dirty look before disappearing down the hallway.

"Took ya long enough." Leo took a jab at Riley.

"Well I'm better than you at everything else so I guess I can give you this one." She teased.

"Oh yeah? What are you so much better at?" Leo asked, arms crossed.

"I can see the future and enter the spirit dimension." She said. Well, she had him there.

"Uh uh, powers don't count. I bet you aren't better at sword fighting." He said.

"Okay, but I know I could take you in hand to hand combat." She challenged.

"Ha!" Leo laughed. "Not likely."

She cocked her head. "Let's make this interesting. We spar. I win, you take me on a date."

Leo's eyes narrowed. She wanted a date from him? Interesting. "And what if I win?" He asked.

"What do you want?" She asked.

Leo grinned, the alcohol making him brave. "Strip tease."

"You're on." She said. "Let's go."

The entire party made their way out to the front yard, seeing as the girls were not allowed in the man cave which was the only place in the Alpha house to have a training room. They gathered on the front lawn, forming a loose circle around the two contestants. Leo shrugged out of the harness that held his katana and handed it off to Raph. Leo and Riley squared off and he couldn't help but feel a thrill go through him. He could feel the animal in him but he stilled it, focusing. She stood still, waiting. Most wolves would've charged in. They weren't fond of waiting to strike, but she held her ground, her silver eyes tracking his every tiny movement. He took a step and she sidestepped, coming over a bit. He was testing her reaction, trying to find a weakness before the fight even started. She shifted again, leaving her side open and he struck. She countered flawlessly, telling him he had been sucked into the trap she had set.

It was obvious their fighting styles were different. They traded blows and had to watch each other carefully. Some of her moves were obviously modified, and some were not MMA at all, as though her teacher had known following the sports rules weren't practical for real life. Whatever it was, it was effective. The fight was over rather quickly after Riley managed to take Leo to the ground and put his arm in a hold that was making his elbow and shoulder joints scream. He tried flexing his arm, though he wasn't in a good position to be able to do so. She growled as she exerted all of her strength to keep him from regaining control of his arm. She tugged harder, and with a grunt, he tapped out.

Riley released him and jumped into the air, fists pumping. The girls swarmed around her, hugging and high fiving. Leo picked himself up and rolled his sore shoulder.

"You've got a week to plan our date." Riley said, her eyes sparkling. "You better make it good."

The girls all walked back to the house in a group, giggling and whispering as they went.

"You just got yer ass kicked by a girl." Raph said, a gleeful look on his face.

"Be careful, Raph." Frankie cautioned. "You don't want her fighting you next."

"I could take her." Raph said.

"The only people in this world who could beat Riley short of killing her are spirit blooded." Wayne informed them. "Even among them, she has an advantage with her unique training."

"The spirit blood in us makes it so we don't need hierarchy." Frankie said. "We are as dominant as it gets. Riley is her own She-Alpha and Wayne and I are our own Alphas. We could never feel compelled by another Were to follow a command. Only our father has that power over us."

"So Riley could beat Raph?" Mikey asked, in awe.

"The fight might last longer than it did with Leo, but the end result would be the same." Wayne replied.

"Damn. So what's stopping all three of you from taking packs of your own?" Donnie asked curiously.

"We like to go where we're needed the most. There's a reason we're considered royalty. Just like our father, we can command any werewolf. If I needed to, I could command Raph and he would have to do what I said." Frankie said. "We don't especially feel like we need our own pack because the entire Were nation is our pack. Besides, we like it here with you guys. You're the only people who treat us normal."

"Well we know what it's like when people are weird about stuff." Mikey said. "We get treated weird all the time."

Wayne chuckled. "I imagine you do." The rest of the group turned and wandered back into the house after the girls.

Later that night, Mikey pulled Gabby aside. "You gotta help me, Gabby." His blue eyes pleaded. "I'm supposta bring Melody on a date tomorrow and I want it to be super awesome but I don't know where to take her that we can chill without having to hide me. We're supposta go at noon."

"Awwww, Mikey, that's so sweet. I know the perfect place. Meet me out back in ten minutes. You're gonna need four legs to get where I'm thinking of going." Gabby said.

When Mikey finally managed to slip away, the chocolate wolf that was Gabby stood waiting. He trotted after her as she turned and headed into the forest. Being so close to the north shore, the terrain was often times steep and rocky and Mikey soon realized they were following one of the rivers that fed their lake. They climbed and climbed until they came up onto a ledge. Mikey looked down and if he could have, he would've grinned. There was a beautiful waterfall that was dropping into a secluded pool with a beach of smooth rocks. It was beautiful and they could even do some climbing which he knew the cat in Melody loved. He didn't mind it himself. He was a little more flexible in his front legs than a real wolf. He had a better range of motion and sharper claws, though the webbed toes could sometimes be a hassle. Still, he could probably keep up with the cat if he tried.

"Dang, Gabby. It's perfect. I owe you one." Mikey said through their bond.

Gabby brushed her body along his. "You're my pack, Mikey. I want to see you happy. Besides, after being such a good friend to Gracie when she was here, you could never owe me anything."

Mikey turned to face Gabby. Together they shared the twinge of sadness that accompanied thoughts of Gracie. He pressed the top of his head into the base of her neck, cuddling her. She arched her neck so her long tongue could lick at the side of his head. They allowed themselves a moment of comfort before Gabby pulled away.

"Best get back before someone misses us." She said, and they ran home.

The party went on until the early hours of the morning. Everyone was drunk. One by one they went down. Mikey was first and surprisingly the least drunk of all of them. He snuck off to the second floor well before sunrise, wanting some rest before his big day. Melody went not long after, climbing up to take one of the rooms in the Alpha quarters. She liked to be high up. It made her cat happy. Jayden passed out next, though it was hours after Mikey and Melody had gone off. He passed out face down on the long leather sectional in the den. The Storm Pack members who weren't staying in the house took off after that. Then Donnie and Saffron called it quits. Followed by Riley, then Wayne, then Leo. Then Frankie, Gabby, and Raph all cleaned up just a little and headed off to bed.

Raph and Gabby had unpacked most of their stuff in their room before their company had showed up, so they brushed their teeth and Gabby brushed her hair without having to rummage around to find their stuff. When she was halfway through brushing her tangled curls, Raph took the brush from her and stood behind her, gently stroking the brush through her hair. She sighed in contentment as he very carefully worked through any tangles he encountered. Even after her hair was untangled, he kept running the brush through it, helping her relax even more than the booze had.

"You have pretty hair." He said, bending so he could run his check over it. She loved drunk Raph. He was so funny. She turned to face him, her nails found the edges of the plates of his plastron. She tugged at one of the tails of his bandana playfully.

"So do you." She teased. "I love the color."

Chuckling, Raph bent down and lifted her onto the counter so he could kiss her. His lips brushed almost reverently over hers.

"As soon as this place is finished, yer mine." He said, his voice low and full of promise.

Gabby shivered. She was more than ready to mate the turtle before her. "Let's hope I don't go into heat before then." She said. "That would really throw a wrench into any planning we would be doing." He drew back and looked at her in a way that made him seem worried.

"What?" She asked.

"Your heat shoulda started months ago." He said. "Is it normal for it to be this late?"

She smiled up at him. Sweet Raph. He was always so worried about her. It was cute that he'd been keeping track of her cycle too. She never knew he was so observant. "It was the stress." She replied. "With everything that happened this summer, my system was all out of whack. It happens with some human females too. I'm not sure when mine will come again. It could be tomorrow or it could wait til the new year."

She could physically see Raph relax. He stepped closer, those cool, muscly arms wrapping around her. His face came to hers again. He kissed her then ran his nose along her jaw, enjoying her scent. Light and sweet, like lilacs.

"Ya know, we gotta nice new hot tub just waitin' down the hallway." He said into her ear as he pulled her hips closer, pressing her hot center to his hard cock. With Raph, there was no such thing as whiskey dick.

Gabby giggled. "I'm not sure where I put my swimsuit."

"Baby, you ain't gonna need no suit." He growled and he swung her up into her arms. He carried her down the hall, lips only leaving hers to nibble at any skin he could reach. He set her on the raised platform and immediately removed her shirt and bra, letting out a deep churr when her tight nipples were exposed to his gaze. It had taken them a while to figure out his churr. He had never made that noise before he was a shifter and they knew it wasn't a growl. Gabby had ended up asking Saffron if Donnie did it and she explained that it was a turtle thing that happened when they were turned on. Ever since then, Gabby was always trying to get him to churr and she usually succeeded like she was doing now, arching her back and thrusting her full breasts forward. She felt the vibration of his churr roll through her nipple as his lips closed around it making her gasp. She didn't really have sensitive nipples but the vibrations of the churr sent goosebumps rippling across her skin, which was a favorite reaction of Raph's.

Raph was quick to lift her and strip off her yoga pants and lacy panties in a well practiced move. He set his teeth to her shoulder, just hard enough to make her squirm a little as she worked at his belt. He caught it as it came loose, setting it off to the side so his Sai wouldn't get wet. She pushed his boxers down over his hips and he let them fall, kicking them out of the way as his lips devoured hers. He lifted her again, letting his hard, thick length slide against her soft ass. He got into the water with her, gritting his teeth at the heat as his body struggled to adjust. He didn't let it deter him though. He knew the discomfort would go away soon enough.

Gabby sighed as Raph sat on the bench in the hot tub. The water came up to just barely cover the pectoral plates of his plastron. He grunted as Gabby adjusted herself, her thigh pressing tight to his arousal, but she was surprised when he didn't pounce on her. He was usually pretty to the point when it came to pleasuring her, not that she minded. Instead, his strong, thick fingers began digging into the fleshy globes of her ass, working the muscles there until he was satisfied and then moving up to her back. She melted into his chest, her euphoric moans making his cock jump and drawing a couple of churrs from his chest. She was almost falling asleep when he stood, lifting her and turning her so her back faced him. He lowered her onto his shaft, grunting when he bottomed out. Again, he surprised her by moving slowly, bending her over the higher edge of the hot tub and running his hand over the muscles along her spine and showering the back of her neck in shoulders with kisses and love bites. As he bent forward a little, his large hand snaked around her hip and down to her slit where he stroked with a gentle touch that made her pussy clench. That made him give a little bit of a harder thrust. Still, he continued to move at a gentle pace, making her feel every inch of him until she was growling in frustration. She needed more, harder. Hearing the need in her low growl, he sped up, and his light, loving kisses became harder and more demanding. The hand stroking between her legs became more firm and with a cry, her hips jerked.

"Fuck, Gabby." He groaned as he felt her walls begin to twitch around him. The feeling made his knot begin to swell and suddenly he was desperate to tie her.

"Shit, baby. Please." He pleaded, his pleasure clouded mind not able to ask what he wanted. Gabby knew though and he churred as he felt her body changing around him. In an instant, she was in her hybrid form, her wolf pussy wrapped snuggly around his swelling cock. His knot was already getting big and he knew it probably wouldn't be comfortable to shove it into her but he needed to. The beast in him was demanding it so he thrust hard, pulling back on her hips as he pressed his to her. He felt her pussy resist and then slowly open for him. He gave a hard grunt as her body finally gave, swallowing his knot. His thrusts came short and hard after that, his knot allowing for no more than a couple inches of movement as it swelled almost to the size of one of his fists. Gabby could only brace against the platform, giving Raph a solid base to plough into. Her tail started to twitch as Raph built her to breaking point. Raph's hand tangled into the fur at the base of her neck as he hammered into her hard.

"Oh fuck." His jaw clenched as his cock jumped inside of her, jetting ropes of hot seed deep into her sex. She pressed back into him, howling her climax as his cock pulsed inside of her. Instinctively, he pulled back a little so his knot lodged at her opening, creating a tight seal that kept his seed from leaking out and caused sharp, aching pleasure to shoot right into his stomach, especially when her body would contract around him.

"You're amazing." Raph said after a few moments, leaning forward to nuzzle into her fur. He turned with her and sunk back into the hot water with her sitting on his lap, back to his chest, still impaled on his still twitching cock. Still tied, Raph resumed his massage, focusing first on her legs, then on her arms. When his knot finally deflated enough to pull out, she shifted back to human and he immediately sank his finger into her, driving her to a quick and violent orgasm which left her drained. Raph had always been like that. He didn't consider a coupling a success until she'd had at least two orgasms. She smiled dreamily as she remembered the time he had driven her over the edge so many times that she had begged for him to stop. She had still been tender the next day.

"What are you thinking?" He asked, his low voice soothing.

"Mmmmmm. Just how lucky I am that you're so good in bed." She said, her eyes fluttering shut as he stroked feather light up and down her arms.

"Keep talkin' like that and you'll get another round." He teased.

"Promises, promises." She giggled and he stood quickly, carrying her back down to their room and depositing her back onto the bed where he devoured her aching slit until she came on his tongue. While she lay panting, he eased himself into her again.

"I love you Gabby." He said as he moved slow and gentle inside of her. "You brought me home."

Gabby clung to Raph, his words and his gentle movements making her heart swell and flow over with her love for him. "It wouldn't be home without you." She whispered, rolling her body against his. He kept it slow, building her higher and higher until she was pleading sweetly for him to give her what only he could. They came together, Raph's teeth clenched around the joint of her shoulder and neck, the place that he would soon mark for the world to see that she was his and would be until the day he died.


	4. Chapter 4

Mikey woke with a start, shooting straight up in bed. Sunlight streamed in through his bedroom window and he panicked for a second, thinking he might have over slept. He looked over at his clock and relaxed when it said nine thirty-seven. He had time. Nerves jangled in his stomach as he quickly gathered up his clothes and his mask and threw a load in the wash. He continued to tidy up the room and then gather the stuff he would need later. He threw on his orange swim trunks and shell necklace. Then, peaking cautiously out of his door, he ran down to the garage and grabbed two camp chairs and rushed them back into his room. He grabbed a little basket and put some light snacks in it. Then he grabbed a little cooler and filled it with drinks and headed back to his room where he bundled everything up and snuck outside with it. He went as far as he could before the terrain got too rough and he had to set the stuff down and take it to the falls piece by piece. By the time he was finished, it was almost eleven. He booked it back home, switched his laundry to the drier and quickly took a shower. He threw on what he had put on that morning and headed for the downstairs kitchen sans mask to eat some breakfast to stop the growling in his stomach. He was just finishing up a batch of scrambled eggs when the smell of warm cinnamon rolled over him. He turned to see Melody leaning back against the counter. Her tawny hair was a mess and her eyes were still sleepy and Mikey's heart stuttered a little at the gorgeous sight.

"I hope you're making some for me." She said. Luckily, over a decade of cooking for his brothers had taught him to always make extra.

"I always make extra." Mikey said. "We eat a lot." He handed her a plate of eggs with sausage and toast. "You look pretty tired. Did you sleep okay?" He asked.

"Raph and Gabby woke me up and kept me up for a while." She said, her eyes tracking his movements. "They were testing out the new hot tub if you know what I mean."

Mikey grinned and shrugged. "Guy's makin' up for lost time." He said. "It's hard being a virgin til you're twenty-four."

"I wouldn't know." She grinned suggestively as she whisked her food off to the table. Mikey filled his own plate and sat down next to her.

"You've been around for a long time now and I feel like we hardly know anything about you." Mikey said.

"You and your brothers don't ask many questions. If you asked Gabby, I bet could tell you my whole life story." She said as she shoveled food into her mouth.

"Well I wanna know your whole life story." Mikey said in a way that reminded her of a pouty kid asking for something his siblings got first.

"It's long and messy." She warned him.

Messy?" He asked. Thought of her having a hard life made his beast angry.

"Uh uh, turtle boy. We don't dive right into the nitty gritty. Ask me about me, not my life."

"Uh, okay." Mikey said, thinking about all the things he wanted to know about her.

"Favorite color?" He asked.

"Teal." She shot back.

"Favorite food?"

"Cat or human form?" She asked.

"Both."

"Rabbit as a cat, almost any kind of Italian pasta as a human." She answered.

"Favorite movie?"

"Pitch Perfect. The first one. Second one was stupid."

"Favorite music."

"R&B, hip hop, some rap. I'll listen to country if it's on but I don't prefer it."

"Favorite dessert?"

"As long as it doesn't have lemon in it, it's my favorite. I have a hard core sweet tooth."

"Any talents?"

"I grew up a dancer, believe it or not. I don't really have the conventional body type for it but I loved it."

"You don't do it any more?"Mikey asked.

"No."

"Why?"

"I was kidnapped from my pride and have been too busy since." She answered.

"Kidnapped?" Mikey's eyes went wide.

"I told you my life story was a little messy." She shrugged. "The triplets saved me and when they needed me to go to the Thompson Territory I went and that's when I fell in with your family. Next question."

Mikey wanted to talk more about this kidnapping thing but he had always prided himself on being a good people reader and he could tell she wasn't willing to discuss it any further. "Favorite flower?" He asked.

"I don't really have one but I saw these red roses once that opened up and had some orange on the inside. They looked like a sunset and were the prettiest flowers I had ever seen." She answered.

"How old are you?" He asked, his mind bouncing around.

"Just turned twenty-five last week." She said.

"Happy birthday!" Mikey said. "Too bad you weren't here, we coulda had a party."

"We had a party last night." She pointed out.

"But it wasn't a birthday party." Mikey replied.

"Whose birthday?" Donnie asked, striding past hem to swing open the fridge and grab a bottle of water.

"Mine was last week. August thirtieth." Melody replied.

"Happy birthday." Donnie said as he fixed himself a plate. "Is that why you weren't here last week? Did you spend it with your family?"

"My mom and dad were there." She answered. Mikey couldn't help but feel there was some sort of double meaning there.

"You don't have any siblings?" Mikey asked.

"I have a half brother but he's about twelve years older than me and lives in a separate pride out in California." She answered. "We don't really care to know each other."

"That makes sense I guess. Must have been lonely growing up without any brothers or sisters." Mikey said.

"There were other cubs in the pride that I played with. It wasn't so bad." She answered, getting up and putting her empty plate in the sink. "I'm going to run up and shower. Are you all set for our date?" She asked playfully, one eyebrow lifted.

"I found the perfect spot." He assured her.

"Meet you back here in thirty." She quipped and she sauntered off to clean up.

"Dang, Mikey. Look at you going on a date with a lion." Donnie teased. "Sounds dangerous." He got up and refilled his coffee cup.

"She's gonna chew him up and spit him out like it was nothin'." Raph said, coming around the corner with Leo and heading straight for the food.

"No way, bruh. I'm gonna have her purrin' like a kitten." Mikey laughed.

"Just please don't do anything stupid." Leo said. "These girls should be treated with respect, not like pieces of meat." He shot a look at Raph who just shrugged and dove into his plate. He'd been a bit rowdy with the wolf girls before Gabby had accepted him and Leo had always disapproved of his style. He didn't regret it though and he wasn't about to apologize for having needs. Besides, he had Gabby now.

"Don't worry, dude. I really like her. I'm not gonna mess up our first date by bein' stupid." Mikey replied. "I'm not Raph." He shot a teasing grin at his brother who just shook his head. "Where is wifey anyway?"

Raph didn't look up from his food, but they could all see the soft smile that crossed his lips. It was the smile he only used when he thought about her. "Sleepin'." He answered.

Leo watched his brothers face go soft at the mention of Gabby. He felt a twinge in his chest, a longing that he hadn't felt since he liked Gabby. The thought made him freeze for a second. When had he stopped liking Gabby? It wasn't when she decided to take Raph. He still held a secret flame for her then too. So why was it now when he thought about taking someone in his arms, it wasn't the well curved Gabby anymore? Maybe it had to do with a pair of silver eyes that he couldn't get out of his mind. He shook his head. "What about Ronnie?" He asked, looking at his brother who was rarely seen without his girlfriend.

"Got up early to look over the building plans for the medical building." Donnie replied. "She wants it perfect. You know how she likes her things." His eyes kind of got this far away look as he too smiled a smile for his Ronnie.

"Well, I've got a hot date." Mikey said, clearing his place at the table. "Wish me luck." He ran out to grab his mask and the little bouquet of wild flowers he had put together when he was bringing the stuff for their date out that morning. He hurried back down to the entry to wait. He didn't wait long. Melody came down the stairs like the soft, busty goddess of love in a white sundress and sandals with her waves of tawny hair tumbling past her shoulders. Her cat eyes were rimmed in black with gold and brown eyeshadow that made them pop.

"Woah." Mikey said. She beamed at him as he held out the flowers to her.

"They're perfect." She said, smiling. He was distracted by the obvious strap of her black bikini top and didn't answer. She hurried off to the kitchen to put the flowers in a jar and then she popped some ice cream out of the freezer.

"I got the ice cream, now show me the place." She said.

"We'll have to shift to get there." He said.

"I'm game. Lead the way." She replied, and out of the house they went.

Mikey loved being in his animal form. He was fast, and even bigger than Melody's cougar. The only wolves Mikey had even seen come close to the size of their dragons were the Triplets who were literally the size of a Kodiak Grizzly Bear. The turtles were about the same size. Raph's dragon was bigger than both Wayne and Riley, just falling short of Frankie's wolf. Mikey thought Frankie was probably the biggest wolf in the world, followed by his brother and sister. To him, that meant their dragons were probably more powerful than any wolf other than the Triplets. Size meant power in this world and they had size alright. He ran ahead of Melody, his powerful muscles flexing. His tail was swinging back and forth in glee. He and his family were safe, they were blessed with an animal form, and now he was going on a date with the most intriguing girl he'd ever met. Could this day get any better? He led her up to the ledge overlooking the waterfall. She came up beside him and looked down. A beautiful waterfall fell into a rather large and deep looking pool and then rushed off down river. On the rocks next to the pool two chairs were set up with a basket, a cooler, and a radio. She quickly went over the ledge like a pro rock climber. She descended to where everything was set up and then shifted human and looked up at Mikey's dragon. She smiled as he too climbed over the ledge, his powerful body twisting and flexing as he made the difficult climb look easy. He shifted back as he too settled onto the rock.

"Whatdya think?" Mikey asked as he sidled up to her.

"You picked a good spot." She praised. "It's beautiful."

Mikey grinned and swooped down, turning on the radio. Then he motioned to a chair. "I promised you a special spot, now where's my special ice cream?"

She picked up the half gallon container she had set on the ground when she had shifted. "Ever had Spumoni?" She asked.

"No, but I'll try anything once." He replied as he sat in his chair and pulled a couple of spoons out of the basket.

Melody popped the lid off and took a spoon from Mikey. She dug out a scoop and he watched as her eyes closed in pleasure at the taste. He grabbed a scoop and took a cautious first taste.

"This stuff is really good!" He said, finishing his spoonful.

"It's probably my favorite ice cream." She replied, taking another bite.

Together they demolished the whole container. Mikey pulled out an Orange crush and offered her one.

"A crush for my crush?" He teased as she took the cold can.

"That's so cheesy." She replied, laughing.

"Nothing wrong with a little cheese here and there." Mikey replied.

"I guess." She chuckled. "So tell me, what was it like growing up as a mutant?"

"Well, I got to play with my brothers and my dad taught us all to read and write and do math and stuff. He taught us martial arts. Other than the fact that people would scream and run when they saw us, I think it was pretty cool. I loved New York. Stuff was always happening there, but now…" He trailed off and looked around. The sound of the waterfall and the twittering of birds was the only interruption to the quiet. "It's different." He picked up where he'd trailed off. "I can just sit and look at things. I can see stuff for what it really is. It's nice to just be at peace every now and then."

"You couldn't find that in the city?" She asked.

"Too much noise. Too much movement." He replied. "I have a hard enough time staying focused as it is. All of the distractions in the city made it worse. I got my brothers into trouble a lot because I couldn't keep it together. It always felt like they were having to save me."

"I watched you fight in a lot of battles, Mikey. You seemed to hold your own just fine." She said.

"I got better as I got older." Mikey replied. "Master Splinter always told me I had a lot of potential if I would just focus. Back then I didn't really listen. I never wanted to be as serious as Leo was anyway. Even now he has trouble just letting go and having some fun. I'm glad I didn't end up like that."

"Me too." Melody replied. "I've been around a lot of serious people in my life. It's almost stressful having to be around that all of the time. That's why I like being around you. It's refreshing."

Mikey chuckled. "I could say the same about you. It's always been so easy for me to read people, but sometimes what you're thinking or what you're doing is a complete mystery to me."

"I think that's a cat thing." Melody mused. "Most people, even other cats, find it stand-offish or rude but cats are just natural observers. We like to know what's going on around us."

"I don't think you're rude." Mikey reassured her.

She covered his hand with hers. "Thanks, Mikey."

With a smile he pulled her to her feet. "Let's go swimming." He said. "According to Ronnie, this is probably going to be the last good week of swimming weather before the fall starts taking over."

He watched her shimmy out of her sundress and he felt his cock twitch as all of her soft curves came into view. He just wanted to run his hands all over her supple body.

"Race ya!" She yelled as she bolted for the water. Mikey burst forward, quickly overtaking her and hitting the water with a splash that was quickly followed by her own. When he popped up for a breath, he immediately got a wave of water to the face as she splashed him.

"Oh, Girl, you're askin' for it." He said as he dove underwater again. She made for the rocks to try and get out before he could retaliate but he was just too good in the water. He grabbed her ankle and dragged her under, pulling her tight to his body, keeping her from escaping. They popped back up, both laughing, Melody pressed tight to Mikey's now aching body. He had never really expected to have a girl this close to him. He'd seen it happen with Raph and with Donnie, but he just hadn't really dared to hope that he would find someone he really wanted to be this close with.

Melody herself was thankful they were in the water. The way her body was pressed to the tight and hard plains of his body would have been enough to scent the entire area with her arousal. The way he was so capable of staying afloat with her on him and the way his muscular arm wrapped around her waist was just adding to his appeal. He would makes a strong mate. She frowned for a second. She was in no place to be thinking about Mikey as a mate. She was promised to someone else.

"You alright?" Mikey asked, concern in his bright blue eyes.

She studied his face for a second and then brought her lips down to his, claiming them in a passionate kiss.

Mikey's world was exploding. Her soft lips were moving with his. Her bold tongue was tasting his. Her soft, warm hands cradled the back of his neck. He swam backwards so he could lift them onto the rock ledge there. When he was seated, Melody wasted no time in adjusting herself so she straddled his lap. That's when she felt his hard cock straining against his shorts. Her lips met his again and she slid a hand between them, running her palm down his impressive length. His whole body jerked and he quickly pulled away, grabbing her hand and pulling it away from his throbbing shaft.

"You don't want me?" Melody asked, the hurt in her voice and eyes searing through Mikey.

"If I didn't want you I wouldn't be hard." Mikey said, a little sharply. The confusion on her face didn't go away, and Mikey relaxed his posture a bit, trying to calm down. "It's our first date." He explained. "I think you deserve more than one little swim before we dive in. I have a lot of respect for you. I don't want you to feel like I'm just using you to lose my virginity."

Melody's face softened and she cupped Mikey's cheek. She brought her lips to his again in a much more tame kiss. She had never been respected like that by a man before. She had never felt like a treasure worth protecting and in one shot, Mikey had given her that. Her heart squeezed painfully. She should tell him about Emerson, the cougar she was betrothed to. She should stop this running around with the turtle who was so obviously smitten with her, but she knew when she mated Emerson, she would never feel this joy and excitement again. She couldn't bring herself to tell him. She would in a few weeks. She just wanted some time to know what it was like to be adored. Was that so wrong? She cuddled into Mikey's chest and sighed. A part of her knew that what she was going to do to Mikey was selfish and wrong but a larger part of her was in denial. A part of her was counting on time standing still.

Time stands still for no one though. The week passed and Mikey and Melody spent a lot of time together. Leo, however, didn't really notice as he was busy himself. He had made special arrangements for his own first date. By Friday, he was nervous and his brothers tried to reassure him.

"Dude, it's like the coolest first date ever." Mikey said. "Especially cuz the two of you get the whole roof to yourself for an hour before it opens."

"All the girls will be so jealous." Saffron agreed. "I know I am."

"She likes you man." Raph said. "If she didn't she wouldn't've wanted a date. Don't worry."

"Have you ever even taken Gabby on a real date?" Leo asked him.

Raph frowned and glanced at Gabby, a bit embarrassed. "We've been a little busy being Alphas after a war and all." Gabby replied in his defense. "We just got back from sorting out the Linley territory. We'll get there eventually."

"Stop worrying, Leo." Jayden said. "She can smell fear and that's a turn off. You gotta be confident if you wanna get it in."

"You know, Jayden, it's not all about sex." Leo said.

"You like her then?" He asked.

"I don't really know her." He replied. "That's kinda the point of a date."

"Two weeks ago you couldn't stand her." Jayden pointed out.

"Yeah, well two weeks ago she was the most annoying thing to ever walk the earth. If she was still being like that, I would still think she was annoying." He replied.

"You like her." Jayden said, smirking. Leo just rolled his eyes. He was tired of talking in circles and he had other stuff to worry about.

"Is everything set?" He asked his brothers.

"You're good to go. All you have to do is show up at her door." Donnie said.

Leo sighed and then straightened. "Wish me luck." He said, standing.

"I hope you choke." Raph teased.

"Thanks asshole." Leo replied as he left the room.

Leo walked across the compound grounds in the waning light. The day was drawing to an end and he wanted to get things started. He couldn't believe it was Friday already. Where had the week gone? The rec center had been finished. The medical building was built, though it didn't have any of its machinery or supplies yet. They had even managed to erect a handful of cabins. One that sat right next to the woods along with two others was where he was headed. It was Riley's home. She had just moved in the day before. He knocked on the door and when she answered, he stood frozen. She wore a beautiful skin tight pale blue dress with rhinestones. Her white-blonde hair was pinned so all of her waves fell to one side and her graceful neck was exposed on the other. Her silver eyes were painted in a way that made them glow, as though he were staring into the moon. A slow smile spread across her glossed lips.

"Hey handsome." She said. "How do I look?" She twirled for him, showing off the cuts in her dress that exposed her creamy skin on her sides, showing flashes of ink and making him wonder what tattoo she had hidden underneath her clothes.

"Beautiful." Leo managed to respond to her question. He offered his arm. "You ready?"

She grabbed his arm and he escorted her over to the rec center.

"I didn't think they had opened it yet." She said as he led her in through the front doors.

"They haven't." Leo said. "It's grand opening is tomorrow but there's a party tonight on the upper levels. It's really exclusive."

"Is that where you're taking me?" She asked excitedly.

"We'll be joining the celebration, but it doesn't start for another hour. I wanted to show you something special first." He said as the elevator opened for them. They stepped in and Leo hit the button for the roof. They rode up until the elevator stopped.

"Close your eyes." He said.

She obliged and he led her carefully out of the elevator and out of the glass encased first half of the roof out to where a table had been set for them with white wine and candles. That wasn't the first thing he'd wanted her to see though so he positioned her to face the west.

"Open your eyes." Leo said gently, standing close.

Her eyes opened and he watched as they absorbed the light of the sunset before her, giving the silvery orbs a dusky tint. Her hand came up and rested on his upper arm as she watched in amazement. Pinks, yellows, oranges, and reds streaked the few drifting clouds and painted the sky. The water of the lake seemed to be alive with the colors. It was spectacular.

"This is amazing." She said, turning only to see Leo wasn't looking at the sunset at all. His eyes were on her and he was being as quiet and stoic as ever, though this time she believed it was because he was taking her in, rather than trying to keep his demeanor in control, and that made it okay. She noticed the table and then raised an eyebrow at him.

"How did you know what my favorite wine was?" She asked.

"You know Gabby knows everything right?" He asked her, cracking a smile.

She returned his smile with one of her own, her eyes sparkling with laughter. "Of course she does. Crazy telepath."

He pulled out her chair and she sat. He poured each of them a glass and then he sat down opposite from her. "I figured we'd start with something classy. I've got a feeling that when this party starts, all class is going to go right out the window. Gabby and Raph planned it so that no one older than twenty-nine would be here and no one younger than twenty. A lot of the kids of other Alphas are coming. I think Gabby was trying to ease the sting of not inviting older Alpha pairs."

"She's smart." Riley said, sipping her wine, enjoying the sweet moscato. "The older Alphas have to understand that Raph and Gabby are different. Their politics are going to be different. Keeping their families close is a good way to appease the differences in how they'll run things."

"I hope so. I can tell a lot of Alphas will underestimate them. Maybe not so much in the northern half of the states. They saw Gabby and Raph rebuild half the nation. I worry about the southern states though."

"So do I." Riley said. "Frankie thinks they should tour down south, maybe travel to each pack to extend a personal invite to their mating. I think they should, and they should bring you and your other brothers too. The south has to get used to seeing you guys. I have a feeling you'll meet a lot more prejudice there than you did in the east."

"We've faced prejudice our whole lives." Leo replied. "I'm just glad we finally have a place we can call home. I love that we don't have to hide anymore and that we get to make a difference in people's lives without fighting. I love a good beat down on assholes who deserve it as much as the next guy but after that war I just want some time." He looked off over the lake where the last sliver of the sun was slowly disappearing beneath the distant tree line. "I've never seen that much death before."

"I know what you mean." She replied softly, also looking out toward the slowly fading sunset. "Before Gabby was forced from Minnesota she was helping my brothers and me build a pack. We were called the Rebels. We were just a couple of kids at the time. Gabby was nineteen, I was eighteen. She was scared for her family even then but when I found her she helped me. I was going into heat and I had no idea what was happening. She hid me and when my brothers came looking for me, she showed them what she was. Did you know we had no idea other Weres existed in the world until we were eighteen?" She sighed and took another sip of her wine and then looked into Leo's serious blue eyes.

"When my heat broke Gabby brought us to a small camp in the woods led by an old Alpha named Herbie. They were the last of a decimated pack and they were taking in strays if they could convert them. Aiden was already three years into his warpath and he didn't notice when a lot of his underlings went missing. Our pack grew as we mentored under Herbie. I became the She-Alpha of the pack almost a year in when I refused to take orders from Aleena who was She-Alpha before me. The very next day Aiden's forces came through and tore our pack apart. My brothers and I were still so young. We didn't know we were spirit blooded then. We didn't know our powers except that sometimes my dreams came true. We couldn't help them." Her voice quavered for a second and she almost jumped when his hand covered hers, offering comfort.

"I know what it's like to watch people die. I understand why you like it here. It's the same reason I do. It's safe. It's warm. Our family is all around us. For once in my life I feel like I have a future that isn't filled with blood and death." She finished.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. It's a hard thing, being different. When you're different, people don't understand you and that makes them afraid. It makes life pretty lonely." Leo said. "It's good that we all have each other. We don't have to be lonely any more."

"Why are you scared of your beast?" She suddenly asked. "Why don't you trust that side of yourself?"

Usually Leo would get defensive but after how vulnerable she had been with him only moments before, he couldn't help but let his guard down a little bit.

"I grew up watching Raph fly off the handle. It was like he was more animal than human sometimes and I never wanted to be like that. Plus, Master Splinter always taught us that control and balance were important. I took that to heart. I'm not an animal, Riley."

"Then what are you?" She asked. He stared at her for a second, unable to answer.

"You're not human, Leo. You have human in you but you also have turtle in you, and now wolf as well. You are an animal, Leo, and so am I. Do you think any less of me because I can turn into a wolf?"

"Not at all." Leo replied. "I think your wolf is beautiful."

She smiled at him. "I'm sure I would find your dragon extremely attractive if you would let him out."

"What if I lose myself to him?" Leo asked. "What if I become someone else because of it?"

"What if you become better? What if you become stronger?" She shot back. "You are still you when you shift. You just have sharper senses and more primal instincts. You don't just stop being who you are."

"I try every day." Leo admitted softly. "I try to let him in but it's like there's a block there or something."

"It's not about letting him in, Leo. It's about joining with him. It's about becoming him. Splinter taught you well, but in your quest for control you forgot balance. You need to balance yourself with the beast. You need to remember that you are one person, that the animal has always been a part of you, even when you push it away."

Leo watched her for a second. "Why don't you just give up on getting me to shift?" He asked. The sun had faded and the roof lights had switched on, causing her dress to sparkle and catch the light.

She stood and walked over to him. "Let me show you." She said, holding her hands out. He stood and took them in his, soaking in her warmth. She closed the distance between them and rested her head on his shoulder. He felt energy crackling around them and then his sight went blank only to look down on a scene that was startling. He knew the dragon before him was himself. None of his brothers dragons were that dark. His skin was so dark green that it was nearly black and his eyes glowed a strange sandy color. The dragon dipped his head and nudged at a little furry bundle at his feet. It was a pup. His pup. Leo felt his heart race as he was pulled back to the present.

"Was that my future?" He asked.

"If you ever find a way to your dragon then that's your future. The spirit world hasn't granted me a vision of wether or not that will happen though. The future is a strange thing. It can change when people make decisions, or when they give up on something."

"I'm not going to give up on my dragon, if that's what you mean." He said. "I want to be with the pack. I want to run and hunt and play. It's just hard to let go after all of those years of doing just the opposite."

"I have faith in you." She replied, releasing his hands and returning to her seat.

Leo also sat. "Thanks. I need all the help I can get."

They sat and talked until they heard the elevator ding and the Triplets, the turtles and their partners all came out, dressed nicely.

"Times up." Raph said.

"It's party time." Mikey crowed, his exuberance flowing over. Wait staff appeared to clear their table and they stood to welcome their guests as the bouncers checked their invites downstairs and let them in. Elevator load by elevator load came up. Introductions were made, conversations started, and drinks poured. When the roof was full and all the guests were accounted for, Mikey grabbed the mic and hit the retractable stage.

"Are you ready to party?!" Mikey yelled to the crowd. They responded with deafening cheers. There had to be a couple hundred or more people there.

"Let's turn up!" Mikey yelled again and he pointed to the DJ who put on some beats. The whole crowd was drinking and dancing and living it up in minutes. They could already tell it was about to be a wild night.


	5. Chapter 5

The beat of the music was pounding in Leo's ears. The alcohol was making him relax. The scent of arousal was in the air. Ever since the girls showed up in his life they had always mentioned the smell of this or the smell of that, scents his dull senses couldn't detect. All that had changed and now he understood how much the wolves relied on their sense of smell to communicate. Fear, stress, arousal. All had their own unique scents. He watched the people on the dance floor from his place at the bar. Donnie and Saffron were pressed close. Raph had his arms around Gabby's waist as she ground her shapely ass against him. Leo smirked. His brother was a lucky bastard landing her as a mate, that was for sure. He saw Mikey off in a corner whispering into Melody's ear. Her green eyes were crinkled with laughter. He didn't think he had ever seen her smile so much. She was usually fairly reserved. Maybe it was Mikey. That guy had a habit of bringing joy wherever he went. His eyes finally landed on Jayden who was dancing fairly modestly with Riley. Still, when his hands went to her waist and he leaned in close to her ear, and unexpected growl came from deep in his chest. He cut the sound short, shocked at himself. Riley was his date, sure, but he didn't really have any claim on her and he shouldn't be getting upset over another guy, especially a friend like Jayden, getting close to her. Still, he couldn't help but feel like he needed to do something. He stood and went to them, stealing her away so he could dance with her himself.

Riley could sense that Leo's beast was near the surface. The way his aura pulsed and deepened hinted at a more connected and deep spirit. She was sure the alcohol helped him loosen up a bit but she wondered what else was driving the beast forward. Maybe the competition? There were a lot of dominant males on the roof. Maybe it was the scent of arousal into the air. That always peaked a beast's interest.

"Having fun?" She asked as she looped her arms around his neck.

"I always have fun." He replied and she laughed.

"The only time I ever see you really let go and enjoy yourself is when you're too drunk to care about being perfect." She said.

"I'm not perfect." He said, bristling a little.

"I know. You're too up tight." She goaded. The sandy flecks of color started to show in his eyes though a mischievous smile played on his lips.

"I'll show you up tight." He growled and then he dragged her against him, his lips crashing down on hers. He had maneuvered his thigh between her legs and he ground it into her center. She moaned against his lips, drawing out his second ever churr. She quickly pulled away, detangling herself from him.

"Catch me." She challenged, her silver eyes flashing, and then she took off for the stairs. He gave chase but as soon as she hit the stairs she shifted and he realized he wouldn't be able to keep up. With a roar, his body morphed into the almost black, massive beast that the turtles harbored inside themselves. He sprinted after her, following her out of the front door and out across the compounds into the woods. Finally she skidded to a halt, facing him. She was slightly smaller than he was but she knew her strength and her power better than he did. She pounced on him and they went tumbling. She playfully snapped her jaws at him and he used his front legs and threw her off of him. She stood up and ran again and he quickly followed. He tripped her up and she went down and he pinned her with his weight. She could have struggled but she licked at his face instead. She was glad he was letting loose.

Leo was in a different world. The alcohol he had consumed was making his head spin. The wolf beneath him more so. He was so riled up that he wasn't thinking straight at all. The little tease. She had turned him on and then run away in a chase that aroused his beast as well and now every ounce of him was screaming to mount her. The impulse was strong enough that as soon as he let her up, he stuck his beak under her tail and his tongue snaked out and buried itself in her pussy. He got one taste of her sweet juices before she turned around with a vicious snarl. Startled, he backed up and took in her aggressive posture. He had taken it too far. When he realized what he had done he shifted back immediately, shaking his head. The beast was still so close to the surface. She shifted as well, her face a mask of worry, and tried to come to him. He scrambled to his feet and backed away.

"Leo, just wait a minute." She said.

"I didn't mean for that to happen." He said his voice fearful. "That's not who I am. I don't force myself on women."

"You didn't force yourself on me." She said flatly. "I was just startled and you backed off when I told you to."

"This isn't right." He said, still panicking. She could smell the bitter scent of his stress.

"Leo, this is normal for shifters." She tried to calm him down, but he wasn't listening.

"I gotta go." He said and he turned and took off.

Riley watched him go and with a big sigh, she returned to her cabin alone.

Nobody really saw Leo until the next evening when Gabby spotted him marching purposefully across the yard towards the Triplets cabins. Leo remembered what he had done and he had never been one to hide from his failures. He marched right up to her door and knocked. She yanked the door open, her silver eyes blazing in a way that told him he should be very careful with how he chose his words.

"I'm sorry." He said as formally as he could.

"What you're sorry for and what I want you to be sorry for are two completely different things." She replied, turning away from him and walking inside. The fact that she hadn't shut the door clued him in to the fact that he was expected to follow her. Her words had taken him off guard and her disappearing act even more so. When he made it to the kitchen he saw her sitting on a chair, legs crossed, foot bouncing, sipping on a whiskey and Coke. He didn't know what to say but it was obvious by the way she was lifting her pale eyebrows that she was expecting him to say something.

"I'm sorry I ruined our date last night." He tried. "I wasn't myself. The beast…"

"Nuh uh." She said. "You. That was all you Leo. The beast wanted it but you facilitated it. Wanna know why? Cuz you were drunk. The only reason you were able to shift was because you were drunk. The only time you ever let yourself just chill is when you're drunk."

"Listen." He said, irritated at the interruption and the things she had said about him. "I'm just trying to apologize for ruining our date."

"You know what ruined our date Leo?" She asked, piercing him with an uncomfortable glare. "It wasn't when you stuck your nose in my cunt." He flushed at the mention. "It was that you ran away. You just left me there, Leo. All by myself." He listened as her voice strained a little, like she was hurting, and his heart clenched. "You didn't even say goodnight to me or anything. You sit there and apologize for something so normal and completely ignore where you actually went wrong."

"What I did was not normal." Leo said.

"That's how it goes in the Were world, Leo. You made a move. That's what Weres do. They go for what they want and see where it leads." She pointed out. "You've been a part of this world long enough to know that by now. You know that sex isn't a big deal here so why are you turning it into a problem?"

"I'm not like everyone else here." He said.

"You're not human, Leo!" She finally raised her voice to him, angry that he couldn't just see his problem.

"Well I'm not an animal!" He yelled back.

"What, like me?" She asked softly, that faint sound of hurt returning to her voice.

"That's not what I mean." He replied, his anger deflating. "I just mean my instinct doesn't rule me."

She stood from her chair and slowly circled him once. When she came around his side, her soft fingers trailed down his arm. When she stood before him she came close. Close enough that even her tall frame had to look up to see his face. She took advantage of his confused stillness, rubbing her hands up his chest, letting the feel of his body, of his spirit, bring her to life.

"Do you know why I've never had sex, Leo?" She asked softly, eyeing his lips hungrily. His head was spinning from the speed at which the tone of the conversation kept changing. "Aside from the fact that I was raised in isolation until I was eighteen, it's because I've never been interested. No one's scent has ever called to me. I assume it's because of my spirit blood. With my rank in society, it's hard to find someone who doesn't fall flat. Then you came along." His heart raced as she pressed herself against him. "You'll understand my frustration, then, when the only guy who's ever turned me on gets me all hot and bothered and then just leaves because I show my teeth for one little second. I thought you had a little more backbone to be honest." In a quick move, she hooked her leg around his knee and took him to the ground where she sat across his hips. Her hands wrapped around the edge of his carapace. She leaned closer, her hair cascading over her shoulder and tickling where his plastron met skin.

"You owe me another date." She said, and then she dropped her lips to his in a demanding kiss that seemed to set fire to his bones. All thought ceased to exist. Their tongues dueled and of their own accord, Leo's hands came up. One tangled in her hair, reveling in the silky texture, and the other fit itself over the curve of her hip. Without thinking, he twisted, rolling her beneath him without releasing her lips. The intoxicating scent of warm, white chocolate filled the air and he pressed into her core when she rolled it against the stiff bulge in his shorts. Her little gasp brought a loud churr from him. Before he could stop himself, she dragged one of his hands up to her respectable C cup breast and another churr rolled through him as she whimpered her need. He suddenly sat back, panting, taking in the beautiful sight of the woman before him. She was flushed, her chest was heaving, her hair was disheveled, and her shirt had come up enough that he could see her taut belly where a shiny jewel sat above her belly button. He groaned and closed his eyes. She was testing his will power, that was for sure.

"That was instinct, Leo." She said, her silver eyes blazing with heat. "Everyone has instincts and everyone is ruled by them now and again. It doesn't mean you can't control them."

His eyes opened, about to be angry that she was trying to use their situation as some sort of lesson until he saw the way her eyes were still burning into his, and how she was arching her body, trying to entice him back down to her. Rather than going back down, he bent and scooped her up and put her on her table.

"I want you." He finally admitted out loud. He was fitted between her long legs, his length against her center, hovering over her.

"If you don't fuck me right now I'm going to scream." She replied, unbuttoning her cut off shorts. He helped her shimmy out of them and then traced the line of her pale blue panties. She pushed at them and he helped her pull them off, his stomach clenching when her glistening slit was revealed. She spread her legs shamelessly, her body opening to him. He stepped closer, slowly running his rough hands up her smooth thighs. The nerves were hitting him now. He could admit to himself that he had wanted Riley since the first moment he had ever seen her, even though she was in hybrid form at the time. He wanted this to be good for her.

"I've never done this." The usually sure leader faltered.

"Me either." She said a little breathlessly. Her hand found his and she guided it to where she wanted his touch the most. His own rough finger was different than hers and together they experimented with pressure and speed on her hard clit. When he had worked her almost to an orgasm, she begged for him to put a finger inside of her. He did so a little nervously. She moaned as her opening stretched around the thick digit. She instructed him on how to move it and where to press and just about jumped out of her skin when he found the sweet spot inside of her. Her reaction was enough, and Leo worked the spot mercilessly, testing a few angles and speeds before settling into a steady rhythm. Her body began to quake and her walls were drawing tighter. Her cries became sharper and then with one loud cry, her body arched up off the table and clear fluid gushed out of her, coating almost his entire forearm. Leo knew what squirting was, but he had never expected to run into it before. When the shock wore off, he withdrew his finger and bent over the quivering woman on the table.

"You okay?" He asked as he brushed her hair back. She nodded and then slowly sat up. Leo stepped back, allowing her room as she stood. He kissed her again, devouring her lips. He jumped when he felt her hand close around his covered shaft and start stroking.

"You don't have to." He said, his voice strained.

"Don't be such a gentleman." She replied. "Besides, I want to." She blushed. "I'm not….you know….really sure what feels good though."

He kissed her again, understanding perfectly her state of loss. Still kissing her, he popped the snap on his jean shorts and pulled the hardest dick he'd ever had in his life free. He pulled away a little and took her hand, guiding around his shaft. He groaned when he realized how much bigger it looked in her hand than it did in his own. His hips pressed forward just once, to feel himself slide through her soft skin. Then he guided her wrist until she got the hang of the speed and the places he liked best. He couldn't help but watch as she worked his length. His cock pulsed when she went down to her knees in front of him, as though on impulse, and added her other hand. He was getting so close. A few more strokes and he would be there.

"Riley.." He started, but just then slick, wet heat covered the head of his cock and her tongue rolled along the underside of his shaft. The reaction was immediate. Cum poured into her mouth, causing her to pull back in surprise. He pulsed again, his next spurt landing across her face. He just about passed out when her hand came back to his cock, massaging it and aiming it at her chest. She drew every last drop from him, painting her own chest, face, and neck with his seed. When he was spent, he took her in and just about came again when he saw her tongue flick out to taste. He felt strangely satisfied having her covered like she was. It was like he had marked her as his own.

"Well that's a side of my sister I've never seen before." Came a deep voice from the doorway. They both whipped their heads to the side to see Frankie standing in the doorway, his brother Wayne grinning behind him.

"About time you got some action little sister." Wayne said.

No matter how much of a wolf she was, she couldn't help but be mortified at being caught by her two older brothers with no pants on covered in the cum of the guy she was supposed to be mad at for ditching her the night before. Leo stuffed his dick in his shorts and snapped up and then stepped in front of her, shielding her from the view of her brothers.

"A shower would probably be nice and relaxing." Leo suggested to Riley without taking his eyes off the brothers. She was grateful for the excuse and hurried from the room.

"We heard her scream." Frankie explained to Leo when his sister's shower turned on. "We were worried she was hurt."

"She's fine." Leo said a little tensely. He wasn't sure how the brothers were going to react.

"I saw that." Frankie replied calmly. "We were worried she would never find anyone. Just don't ever hurt her or I'll have to kill you." He turned and quickly left the house, leaving Leo to wonder if they were serious or not.

Leo sank onto the chair, his hand covering his face. He had come here to apologize, not mess around with the beauty in the shower. What had gotten into him? He wasn't drunk and his beast had been relatively quiet. That had been all him. Since when did he let his wants and needs dictate his actions? He sat there tensely, contemplating what had happened, until Riley came around the corner. Her hair was only half dry. Her makeup had been washed away, and she looked so adorable in a pair of sweats and a spaghetti strap sans bra. Tension bled from him as she stood there nervously. He didn't know it but she could read his tension in his aura and it made her nervous. When the sight of her settled him, she came forward cautiously. She settled into his lap, tucking herself against him, nuzzling his neck and enjoying his scent, waterfalls and and rich earth.

"You know," She said, "I don't just want you because you're attractive or because you smell good. I like you Leo. You've always been kind and thoughtful and well mannered. You're detail oriented and brave. You love your family and have put yourself in harms way to keep them safe." She sat up to look into his vibrant blue eyes. "And I had so much fun last night."

Leo smiled at her. "I really did too." He answered.

Her fingers traced over his jaw. "I had a good time today too." She grinned slyly and he laughed.

"You don't have to be perfect with me, Leo." She said, her hand cupping his cheek. "I like you for all of the stuff on the inside. Besides, no one's perfect, even if they strive to be. It's just better to be yourself." Her lips covered his once more and he couldn't help but feel a little piece of himself settle. All he had ever wanted in his life was approval. From his father, from his brothers, from his friends. She gave it so freely and didn't expect him to try and be better than anyone else and that lifted a burden from his shoulders that he never knew he was carrying.

"So I owe you a second date then, huh?" He asked, his arms around her waist.

"Yes." She replied.

"Are you free right now?" He asked.

She smiled. "You already have a plan?" She asked.

"I always have a plan." He said.

She laughed. "You know, it can be fun to just wing it sometimes."

"Improvising is a specialty of mine." He reassured her. "Stuff doesn't usually go according to plan anyway." He gently pushed her off of him and stood up. He wrapped his hand around hers and started leading her to the door.

"I'm not dressed." She said a little self consciously. She had been so concerned about leaving Leo with her brothers that she had hurried through her shower and rushed back to him.

"You look beautiful just the way you are." He promised her. "Besides, there won't be anyone there but us." He dragged her off to the garage in the main house. She was shocked to no end when he brought out two fishing poles and a small tackle box. She just stared at him.

"You don't like fishing?" He asked.

"I sure do." She answered, still looking perplexed. "For some reason I just can't imagine you fishing. Where did you even learn?"

"We fished a lot as kids." Leo replied. "Our dad found us good, secluded places and we would go out there at night and camp and fish. We were always very vigilant. We were almost caught a few times but the older we got the better we were at disappearing."

She looked impressed as he handed her a pole and they headed down to the lake. It wasn't all that big in circumference but it was deep and cold and Leo knew lake trout among other fish lived in it's cool clear water. Riley herself was no slouch at fishing. She could set up her own line and put bait on her own hook. She admitted she had never fished for trout before and was usually more interested in bass and panfish. He talked her through the finer points of lake trout fishing but told her they weren't after them today and sunfish and bass and northern were plentiful in the warmer shallows. They fished from the dock and he watched her bring in some sunnies, a couple bass, and a few little northerns as well.

"Who taught you to fish?" He asked as he unhooked a nice fat sunfish and threw it back. They weren't keeping any.

"Margie, actually." She answered, hooking a worm on her hook. She skillfully tossed her bobber to the edge of the lily pads. "We were a rowdy bunch and she needed to keep us occupied. She liked to keep us out of the house when it was warm so fishing was a good option. We all ended up enjoying it. I can clean them myself too."

"You really never knew there were other Weres out there?" He asked.

"No." She replied. "The man who used to own the mansion, Mr. B, he found us in the forest when we were newborns. We never knew until we found the spirit world, but our mom died shortly after our birth. She was being hunted. There are dark forces in this world that didn't want us to come. Spirit blood is a powerful force of good. It makes it harder for the evil to take root. She birthed us as a wolf and led her enemies off, leaving us in the woods. She knew our father would lead someone to us. Mr. B was that someone. He saw us shift from whimpering pups to screaming babies and he brought us back."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Leo said.

"I never knew her, and we had Margie. Hard to miss something you never knew. I'm just glad to know she didn't just abandon us and she loved us." She replied.

"Do you know who killed her?" He asked.

"Not who." She replied. "It was a demon."

"Demons are real?" He asked.

She nodded. "The spirit world isn't all good. There's evil there just like any other dimension. The Great Spirits, like my father, are the warriors of that world. They keep the evil from spilling over into our world. They know some will slip past them, though, and so they breed with their people and their spirit blooded children take up the fight here." She explained.

"You and your brothers fight demons?" Leo asked incredulously.

"That's where we go when we slip off of the radar. There aren't many out there at any given time, but when we find them, we destroy them. After we found our way to our father, he trained us to use our powers. My spirit seeing helps me locate them. If I laid eyes on any demon, I would know immediately that it was one no matter what form it was taking. I've started to be able to sense them from a distance. I'm still learning to expand my radius."

"Have you guys killed any?" He asked. "Do they even die?"

"You saw one die." She replied. "Raph killed Aiden. Aiden was possessed by a demon."

"So they can posses people?" Leo asked.

"It takes less energy than conjuring a form. It's exceptionally hard to posses someone though. Only when someone's spirit is weak can a demon push it out and take it's place. When someone is going rogue, possession can happen. Luckily there aren't enough demons in the world to possess every Were that goes rogue."

"Can it happen if a Were looses their animal?" He asked, remembering that Gabby had mentioned Weres who had turned human.

"The spirit would be weak enough, yes." She replied. "Demons don't especially like possessing humans though. They don't regenerate like we do. They can't shift to a deadlier form, their senses aren't as sharp. Demons want power. They want to spread their evil. It's hard to do that as a human."

"You would think I'd get used to all the weird stuff that keeps popping up." He said, shaking his head.

"You're not the only one who thinks that." She smiled at him. "The first time I had a vision of you guys, it was a shock to say the least."

"You've had visions of us?" He asked.

"A lot of them actually. They started the day Raph bonded to Gabby. I knew you guys were essential to the cause and I tried to communicate that to Gabby. She's always been a noble soul though and she wouldn't say anything to influence Raph's choice in keeping them as his pack or allowing them to join the Thompson Pack."

"Have they always been about war stuff or do you still get them?" Leo asked.

"The one I showed you the other night was recent." She admitted.

"Do you get visions of other stuff?" He asked.

"Yes. Future fights, future events, things that I need to watch for. Sometimes it's about when and where a demon will be or where an ally can be made. That's what led me to Melody."

"Where do the visions come from?" He asked. "Does your father send them? Or the universe?"

"My father's creator." She answered. "The humans call the creator a lot of things. The creator is God to most of them. The greatest being in existence. We just call him the creator. He's not even a he. Or a she for that matter. Sexless, ageless, formless, limitless. The creator knows all and is all. He can see the strings of fate and wind them as he pleases. He uses me to help do so."

"Is he good then?" He asked.

"Good is such a subjective term." She replied. "He has a lot of good in him and some of what others would consider bad. He is mercy and he is wrath. He is kindness and he is judgment. He controls the ebb and flow of good and evil in the world. When he gave people their own will, he knew evil would come into the world but that is how it has to be because without evil there is no good and there is no worth to fighting and living. Of course, we can never really know how he views these things or what his philosophy on it is. I just take what information I can get from my father."

"Crazy." Leo muttered, shaking his head.

"Trust me, I felt the same way when I found out." She replied.

"How did you find out?" He asked.

"That is a really long story."

"I still want to hear it."

She sighed. "I'll try to shorten it up so we aren't here for the next five years." She said. She reeled in another sunny and tossed it back as she gathered her thoughts.

"As you know, my brothers and I grew up isolated. For all we knew we were the only ones of our kind. When I met Gabby and learned there were Weres in the world I though I was just another Were but when Gabby found out I had no Alpha and needed no Alpha, I learned we were different. Females are so rarely dominant enough to not need an Alpha that it's almost unheard of. When we felt no need to follow Alpha orders in the Rebel Pack or when my visions started coming when I was awake it just proved even more that something wasn't normal about us. When Gabby was forced out of Minnesota three years into Aiden's reign, we lost our one and only source of information and we weren't ready when Aiden's wolves attacked. I had dreamed for months about this place and these mountains and when the pack was gone and the forest burned around us, we started a journey that led us to our reputation. There was no fight we couldn't win together. There was no Alpha who could stand to look us in the eye for more than a few seconds. Maybe they instinctively knew we were more. I don't really know for sure. For a full year I had dreams about mountains and this strange place there and finally, there was a vision that made my path clear. My brothers and I immediately left and made our way to the entrance of the spirit world. We entered and found our father who unlocked our potential and gave us our history. He trained us to hunt demons. We returned to our world to gain some hunting experience. We met Melody on one of our excursions. Then we returned to the gateway and continued to learn about our capabilities. Before we came to help you guys with Aiden, we had one final trip to make. We came home. It took us months, but we found our mothers bones and we burned them, return her spirit to our father before the evil claimed her. We came as soon as that was over."

"What do you mean before the evil claimed her?" Leo asked.

"You've heard ghost stories before right? Haunted places, evil things? My mother died an awful death at the hands of demons. Her violent death plus the fact that she was never put to rest made her spirit restless. She was trapped in the in-between. Her spirit survived there for eighteen years, growing more and more restless with each year. Evil of all kinds is drawn to that kind of negative energy. We had to find her bones and burn them before the evil could consume her and make her like them." She replied. "With no physical remains to keep her tethered, she was able to return to the spirit world where she will enjoy a time of rest before returning to this world as a baby."

"Reincarnation?" He asked.

"Yep. Some souls finish reincarnating and stay forever in the spirit world. Also, new souls are created all of the time. I'm sure there's a way to it but I don't know what it is." She said.

"Your whole life is crazy you know that right?" Leo asked.

"Coming from a mutant turtle, that's a lot of crazy." She laughed and he laughed with her

"it seems to me that crazy is normal now." Leo said.

"It doesn't scare you does it?" She asked him uncertainly. "My brand of special is kind of a lot I know."

"No, Riley, you're the perfect amount of crazy. Just enough to keep things interesting." He nudged her playfully.

They sat on the docks talking about this and that for a while longer, watching the sun sink behind a mess of dark clouds rolling in. Thunder sounded in the distance and Leo sighed.

"Let me walk you home." He said as they packed up. "That way you can't say I ditched you." She poked him with the top of her pole for that little comment and he just laughed. Leo walked her to her door and feeling more bold than he usually felt, he lowered his lips to hers. He kissed her slow and deep, taking a chance to thoroughly taste her before releasing her.

"Did I make up for yesterday?" He asked when he pulled away.

"Definitely." She said a little breathlessly.

"Good. Can I interest you in a third date?" He asked.

"Eager beaver are we?" She teased. "I've got full days this coming week. We might have to wait til the weekend."

"I can handle that." Leo said. He kissed her again, her lips like a potent drug. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said, pushing the door in for her.

"Bye." She said sweetly and she headed in. Leo stood on the porch for a few seconds longer and then with a half smile and a shake of his head, he headed back to the Alpha House. There was a real spark between them, and he was ready to chase it.


End file.
